What’s in a name…

…SARU to SARA?
Acting on the received wisdom from the Muckraker – that unbiased exemplar of rectitude and probity in our fair land! – which claimed the PPP’d engaged in wholesale looting of the Treasury, the APNU/AFC Government didn’t waste any time going after the supposed “malfeasors”. Moving from the Opposition benches – from where you can throw all the shade you want without worry of the consequences – to the government that should set a standard for observing the Rule of Law didn’t cut any ice with them.
They launched a “State Assets Recovery Unit” (SARU) operating out of the Ministry of the Presidency. Problem was – there’s no legislation on the books for any such unit to go around investigating and seizing people’s property. The PPP’s complaint about “illegal witch-hunting” fell on deaf ears. SARU – headed by one-time WPA leader and Presidential Candidate Clive Thomas – didn’t let the lack of legalities (or Thomas’ clear bias) hinder the Government’s drive to hunt down PPP officials.
Liberally interpreting the “forensic audits” of government departments – SARU just basically threw mud by the ton at PPP officials. After months of “investigations” – rather than confessing they really had nothing on their targets (and if they did they could’ve passed it on to the Police for prosecution) they finally confessed they needed legislation to legalise their status. They were going to be changed from a “Unit” in the Presidency to an “Agency” of Parliament. SARU would become SARA.
So we arrive at the “consultations” on the SARU legislation that’ll be passed when Parliament returns from its two-month vacation in mid October. And, dear reader, with their one-seat majority they CAN pass the legislation – no matter what anyone says. Even the GHRA was forced to accuse the government of thereby creating “political commissars”.
And the GHRA continued with more than a mouthful – when no one can accuse them of being in bed with the PPP – that confirmed the PPP’s worse suspicions. SARA will be using funds it seizes to pay its way. As your Eyewitness pointed out this will pretty make them into bounty hunters. And we know in that field, you just do whatever it takes to “get your man” – dead or alive. While the proposed legislation talks about “non-conviction-based recovery provisions”, based on UN Conventions, SARA will be demanding, “hang ’em high!!”
But even more dangerous are the powers placed in the hands of the Director of SARU and his Deputy. The following persons “must comply” to give info – “the Commissioner of Police, the DPP, Head of CANU, the Bank of Guyana, private banks, and the Chairperson of the Gold Board.”

…subventions
After hollering for years that the PPP was committing “economic genocide” (well, actually “economic strangulation”…the “economic genocide” was committed on African Guyanese) by withholding the government’s subvention to Critchlow Labour College, Lincoln Lewis, whose TUC runs Critchlow, just discovered that the APNU/AFC government’s position is the same. Is it committing “economic strangulation”??
A “subvention” is a grant – in this case by the government. All the PPP had asked and the coalition government now, is for “audited accounts” be provided as to how Critchlow monies are spent. Is this asking too much? Let’s look at the case of Guyana that gets grants all the time. Let’s take the £53M grant from the UK to build “infrastructure” in our country. Lewis knows about this…does he think the British Government isn’t looking at how we spend the money?
Heck!! They even demand we practice “good governance” – and tell us exactly what that means. For example, to lay off the reparations call!!

Market Vendors Union
So the market vendors, treated for decades by the PNC as cannon fodder against the PPP in the City, have formed a “union”. After being kicked out of Bourda, Merriman’s Mall and Stabroek Square, isn’t this like bolting the stable door…blah, blah, blah??