Army finances inadequate - Jagdeo acknowledges Public sensitisation to threats necessary Stabroek News May 6, 2000 The public would have to be sensitized to the threats, external and internal, to the society in order for the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) to successfully compete in the allocation of scarce resources, President Bharrat Jagdeo said yesterday. Addressing the Annual Officers Conference of the GDF, President Jagdeo pointed out that with over 90% of government revenues going towards debt servicing and the public sector wages bill, the army had to compete against the unfilled demands of the people. These demands, he said, were for housing, roads, better drainage and irrigation, and water and the Guyanese people would opt for these demands to be met if they were not sensitive to the threats outside and inside the country's borders. He described the internal threats as crime, civil disorder and the illicit trade in drugs. President Jagdeo explained that government's revenues could not support its expenditure and conceded that while the allocation to the army had increased over the years, its capital budget did not accord with the demands of a small, well-equipped force. As a consequence, he said, help had to be sought to ensure that the army was well-funded and well-prepared. He disclosed that a number of bilateral and multilateral initiatives were underway to ensure that the Marine Wing and the Air Corps, among other sections of the army, were better accommodated and equipped. The President again threw out for consideration by the officers, the role the army should play in support of the law enforcement agencies so that maximum use could be made of the resources available within the context of the Defence Act. He also invited their thoughts on the most appropriate structure for the country in the battle against narco-trafficking. Similar challenges were extended by the President to police officers at their annual conference on Thursday. As regards the way forward, President Jagdeo reiterated that his government was committed to a small, well-equipped professional army supported by a larger reserve. He also said that he concurred with the fundamental principles of the army, as enunciated by outgoing Chief-of-Staff, Major General Joe Singh. These principles, Singh said were: · The GDF must be organised and administered as a small, affordable regular Defence Force augmented by a mobile and a regional reserve; · · Recruitment should be based on voluntary application by any Guyanese who satisfies the selection criteria; · · The selection criteria must be non-discriminatory, yet ensure that entrants are amenable to discipline and demonstrate, during training, the mental and physical aptitude to cope with the requirements of military service; · · Officers and ranks must subscribe to the priority principles of the nation first, GDF second, family third and self last; · · While it is the democratic right of members of the GDF to exercise their franchise in favour of their political party of choice, the GDF as a national institution must be apolitical, unbiased and professional in the execution of its mission; · * The GDF is subordinate to the elected government of the day; · The traditions of the GDF and its Code of Conduct must be adhered to and respected; · · The resources of the GDF must be organised, trained, equipped, administered and deployed in accordance with the national interest. · About the environment in which the GDF must operate, the President reiterated his commitment to developing the politics of inclusion since he posited that it was only by all Guyanese working together that the country would move forward. He noted that his approach had its origins in the policy of former president Dr Cheddi Jagan. Recalling his speech at the ceremony to mark Indian Arrival Day earlier yesterday, the President observed that the history of the Guyanese people began with the first inhabitants and not with the arrival of the East Indians or the slaves who were brought here forcibly. And looking back, too, to his own interaction with the army since becoming President, he recalled that he had resolved in their favour the payment of commuted overtime allowance, at a substantial cost to the Treasury; supported their housing programme with a $1 million subvention as well as $4 million for the rehabilitation of the army's playing field at Camp Ayanganna and access to duty-free concessions for the purchase of 4x4 vehicles. The Chief-of-Staff, now the chairman-designate of the Elections Commission, in introducing the President reminded the officers of the various challenges facing the army and Guyana--the "unjustifiable claim to our territory", the drug trade, weapons smuggling, poaching of our natural resources and violent crimes. Singh said that it was "cold comfort" that Guyana was not the only country to experience such negatives. The country must fight these challenges as well as try to repair the "nation's political and socio-economic fabric," he said. He stressed the army's commitment to working "very closely with our sister services" on internal security joint operations training. He also said the army was concerned and recognised the importance of ensuring a peaceful climate for the conduct of the upcoming general elections as well as good governance and development after. The outgoing Chief-of-Staff, who demits office next week, urged the Officer Corps to continue to demonstrate a high level of professionalism and commitment.