Gov’t’s response to the misinformation and race-baiting advanced by the APNU+AFC Coalition

…subject of a correspondence from Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance to members of the USA Congress, international partners and the local diplomatic corps…”

The misinformation and race-baiting advanced by the APNU+AFC Coalition at a ‘racist’ rally in Brooklyn, New York, on August 15, 2021, was the subject of a correspondence from Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance, Hon. Gail Teixeira, to members of the United States of America Congress, international partners and the local diplomatic corps.

Teixeira’s correspondence, dated August 18, 2021, called attention to:

• The findings of the international Election Observer Missions, which validated the PPP/C victory at the March 2020 General and Regional Elections, in response to claims by the Coalition of an “installed” government;

• The work of the PPP/C government since taking office on August 2, 2020, in response to claims that the actions of the PPP/C Administration are discriminatory; and

• The history of the People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR), which now leads the APNU+AFC Coalition, and its proclivity to play the race-card and stoke divisions in Guyanese society, in response to the race-baiting that was the order of the day at the August 15^th event.

She said: “The PNC dominated APNU+AFC Coalition is in tatters. Race is the last desperate thing that they have in opposition to hold onto. This they have used to divide the nation and increase ethnic insecurities at each stage of Guyana’s history for the last 29 years whenever there is a chance, an opportunity for the country and the people to move forward and thrive.  Their history of destruction, obstruction, anti-nationalism, and division has not changed.”

Noteworthy is that the PNC dominated APNU+AFC Coalition continues to peddle these untruths on a daily basis with the objectives of causing division and strife and to destablise the government’s “Plan for Prosperity” which is rapidly unfolding before our people’s eyes.

The Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance made clear that, in the face of the wild untruths that are being peddled by the PNC-led APNU+AFC Coalition, it was the then David Granger-led government that carried out the “most blatant racist policy experienced since the Burnham era” of the 1970s and 80s.

The correspondence documented instances where this was evident in the Granger-led Administration:-

• Within one month of taking office the Granger led administration fired 1, 972 Amerindian (Indigenous) Community Service Officers working in the interior of the country. This one act removed over $700M from the Amerindian village economies and increased poverty for over 10,000 dependents.
• Amerindians our indigenous peoples represent almost 11 % of the population and own 14% of Guyana’s land mass by communal and absolute lands rights based on principle of Free Prior and Informed Consent, yet the Granger government did not issue one communal land grant in the five years as his government said the Amerindians were “avaricious” and “had too much land”.
• Over 2,000 public servants, who were thought to be supporters of the PPP/C based on their ethnicity and or suspected political affiliation, were fired.
• Promotions were held back for public servants who were thought to not be supporters of the government based on ethnicity.
• The Coalition government hired and created an over bloated government sector with 10,000 new employees in the public service, mainly supporters of the APNU+AFC and their families, majority one ethnic group, Afro-Guyanese.
• The Coalition discriminated against contractors and businesses in government procurement, mainly based on ethnicity and gave the majority of the contractors to their electoral financiers and supporters.
• In 2016, the Coalition closed one sugar estate and in the second year two more, throwing 7,000 sugar workers (majority of whom were Indo- Guyanese) out of work and impacting over a quarter of the population and reducing foreign currency earnings for the country.
• Local Authorities Councils that were won by the PPP/C in the two local government elections were bypassed for infrastructural works by the government.
• The Coalition was involved in mismanagement and poor policies, high taxes, 30,000 jobs were lost, thereby increasing poverty and hardships on all Guyanese people. 

Furthermore, the APNU+AFC Coalition:

• Terminated 99% of Guyana’s representatives at our Foreign missions; terminated Chief Executive Officers and high level managers in all state corporations;
• Terminated 99% of all Permanent Secretaries and Regional Executive Officers;
• Used the State Asset Recovery Agency (SARA) and the Serious Organised Crime Unit(SOCU) as political tools to hound down PPP/C leaders;
• Prematurely aborted the International Commission of Inquiry into the assassination of Dr. Water Rodney; and voted on two occasions in Parliament against adopting the findings and recommendations of the report;
• Introduced Anti- working people tax measures, thereby increasing levels of poverty;
• Did nothing to stem the astounding levels of corruption, which led to several Ministers and Chief Executive Officers of state corporations being charged and before the courts post August 2020.

In addition to the actions of the PNCR-led APNU+AFC Coalition during its term in office, Teixeira detailed the Coalition’s acts during the March 2020 Elections debacle, and since August 2, 2021 – actions that have largely been anti-national and divisive.

The Minister, in the 28-page document, stressed that: “The PPP/C government led by President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali, is the legitimate government of the country on behalf of all the people. The international bodies of United Nations, Commonwealth of Nations, the European Union, Organization of American States, the CARICOM and individual nations have recognised the PPP/C as the legitimate government…the final declaration of results of the March 2, 2020 vote made it clear that Guyanese drew a distinct line in the sand – one that marked the difference between a path of social, economic and political development and a path of regression…the PNC-led APNU+AFC Coalition leadership lost the elections because of its own actions; it has lost the moral authority to lecture anyone on the law, constitution, and customs and practices, and on race.”

Teixeira reiterated that the PPP/C Administration remains committed to realizing the goal of a ‘One Guyana’ and a modern, transformed, developed nation for the benefit of all Guyanese.