Stabroek News
March 31, 2001
The PNC REFORM (PNC/R) stands ready to defend its principles and its
constituents, its leader, Desmond Hoyte, said. But it also stands
ready to participate in a meaningful engagement that will ensure the
protection of what it believes to be its fundamental interests and
those of its supporters.
In a broadcast to the nation on VCT Channel 28 last night, Hoyte
called for "credible, agreed arrangements, procedures and
mechanisms that effectively constrain government and state
institutions to act reasonably and justly to all citizens."
It was his first public statement since the March 19 elections which
his party lost to the PPP/Civic.
"These arrangements must offer cast iron guarantees that ethnic
exclusion will be eliminated. The reforms which we advocate must
include, as a priority, the establishment of mechanisms for joint
monitoring and implementation of agreed programmes."
He did not set out how the dialogue should be structured but stressed
that the party was not "interested in circuitous negotiations and
delaying tactics" and expects "a clear indication of the
willingness to deal urgently and seriously."
He said that the PNC/R is not interested "in a mere selfish
grubbing for government office" but in "¼ processes,
and arrangements that would satisfy us that the rights of the
marginalised and the vulnerable are protected and that economic,
cultural, and political space of all Guyanese citizens is protected by
the rules and procedures of governance and political life."
Hoyte laid out a list of initial issues for resolution and said that "solutions
to the problems raised by those issues would indicate to us whether
others are serious about justice, peace, and development in Guyana."
These issues he set out are:
establishment of a joint programme for the resuscitation of the
bauxite industry and the Linden community within an agreed timeframe;
an immediate inquiry into police brutality, extra judicial killings
and systematic police harassment of selective communities with a view
to preventing their recurrence;
the immediate end to the political monopoly of state radio and the
introduction of independent management of GTV, GBC, the state-owned
newspaper and the national Frequency Management Unit;
the immediate establishment of a specially funded and independently
administered broad-based community development and anti-poverty
programme for remedying the problems affecting marginalised
communities;
creation of a special fund independently administered to provide jobs
and relief programmes for the unemployed, especially young people;
the implementation of a programme of land and house lot allocation
and distribution that would eradicate political and other forms of
discrimination;
provision of basic infrastructure to deprived villages and
communities including Drainage and Irrigation systems to make
backlands cultivable;
the de-politicisation of the public service including the appointment
of a professional Head of the Public Service;
the implementation of the legislation for the reform of the local and
regional government system;
the enforcement of the agency shop and check off system for the PSU
(Public Service Union);
guaranteed subventions to the Critchlow Labour College;
nationally agreed programmes for dealing with border and security
issues;
the recapitalisation of the army and the restoration of its capacity
to protect the national interest;
the overdue reforms of government tendering and contracting
procedures;
the dismissal and prosecution of corrupt government officials and
functionaries;
the immediate implementation of all agreed Constitutional Reforms.
He said that "if these issues are not quickly resolved that will
indicate a lack of seriousness about change, dialogue or collaboration
in development."
Hoyte emphasised that his party was "interested in real
comprehensive permanent change" and not in "superficial
dialogue designed to frustrate and defer the necessity for hard
decisions."
He said that the fundamental principles of the PNC/R agenda were
radical reform of our system of governance; the immediate arrest of
the deterioration in the performance of key national institutions in
order to rebuild public confidence; and the drastic reduction of the
causes of ethnic grievances and perceptions of injustice.
In a continuation of this theme, an advertisement at page 5 of this
issue by the PNC/R posits that no one party can steer Guyana out of
the "crisis" it is in, and that it is prepared to enter into
negotiations "with anyone as to the way forward".
It explained that in order to be in a position to state positively
what the best alternatives were "several meaningful proposals
intended to point the way forward are being examined" by the
party. In his speech Hoyte said that the PNC/R "is studying the
suggestions (made to it by organisations and individuals) with great
urgency and will continue to take such advice seriously."
However, the advert said, the mechanisms to be finally adopted must
be comprehensive and not merely cosmetic. "Any system which
simply engineers a few token appointments to offices without creating
the means for addressing the fundamental issues will be unworkable and
unacceptable. The tens of thousands of Guyanese without jobs, food,
homes, educational opportunities, skills training, justice and access
to resources must be taken care of now!"
The party added that at this critical juncture in the history of the
country it considered it appropriate that "it must be in a
position to effectively influence governmental policy and decision
making. It is only through this kind of involvement that the
fundamental issues which beset us" will be addressed.
Hoyte's address also lamented the disenfranchisement of electors at
the recent polls and said this had generated a lot of anger.
Since the declaration of results of the March 19 elections, there
have been numerous calls for the PNC/R to state its position on the
way forward. The view had been expressed that it was sending
conflicting signals by calling for dialogue with the PPP/Civic, while
endorsing the challenge to the swearing in of President-elect Bharrat
Jagdeo and supporting street protests against the results of the
elections and other ills.
Hoyte identified
areas of mutual interest -Ramotar
PPP/C General Secretary Donald Ramotar's reaction to PNC/R leader
Desmond Hoyte televised statement last night was that Hoyte had
identified areas of mutual concern to both parties.
Ramotar expressed appreciation that Hoyte had finally broken his
silence since the March 19 elections.
Speaking on a programme on NTN Channel 69 shortly after Hoyte's
statement last night, Ramotar stated that the PPP/C had already made
several pronouncements on the demands raised by the PNC/R leader. Some
of the issues he dealt with such as good governance have been what the
PPP stood for over the years, he said.
Discrimination has once again been spoken about in general terms,
Ramotar said, adding that the PNC/R had to be more specific when it
raises charges of discrimination.
The PPP/C general secretary expressed surprise that Hoyte did not
condemn the acts of violence and the damage to property which occurred
over the past week.
About dialogue, Ramotar said the PPP/C has always welcomed this. But
he declared that the party would not re-enter dialogue until there had
been a return to normal "constitutional life."