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Dear President Ali,
About one week after your government took up office as the new administration, I was watching the news with some young people, one of whom said to me ‘Miss Audreyanna, are you going to give this government a chance, they are saying all of the right things?’, I responded “Yes, I am prepared to give the government a chance.” The young people were aware of my views on both of the two major political parties – the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC).
Your Excellency, I am writing this letter because I like many Guyanese, would like to give the PPP/C government another chance. However, over the past two weeks, I have been pondering on, give the governance a chance to do what? I would therefore like to be very clear to your government on what I as a citizen, would like to give the government a chance to do. I am prepared to give the government a chance to narrow the gap between its previous and current governance approach, towards a more good governance or better governance approach, based on Article 13 of the Constitution, which states that ‘The principal objective of the political system of the State is to establish an inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens, and their organisations in the management and decision-making processes of the State, with particular emphasis on those areas of decision-making that directly affect their well-being’.
Having observed some of the decisions and actions of your government over the past two weeks, I have concluded that giving your government a chance, would require the active involvement of myself and like-minded individuals and groups of individuals, to assist the government in broadening its approach to governing, towards an inclusive democracy. Hence, this letter is an initial attempt to firstly highlight a few matters of concern; and secondly to impress upon the government the urgency for not merely engaging but strategically engaging and involving a wider range of persons at various levels, to assist the government.
Additionally, I would like to raise a few concerns from a social justice standpoint. With your government being in office for a mere two weeks, the services of several persons have been terminated and or they have been dismissed. This has become a daily occurrence over the past two weeks. While I am aware that some of these actions are a consequence of political events, my interpretation of a number of these cases are also, a matter of social justice and may constitute a violation of constitutional rights and an affront to the spirit of the Charter of Civil Society of the Caribbean Community, the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR) and the Charter of the Commonwealth. While on the one hand your Excellency, is indicating to the public that your government will work for all Guyanese, your very government has been engaging in what at least one media agency described as ‘cleansing’, essentially putting professional qualified persons out of employment on the premise that these persons are ‘political appointees’ or for other similar reasons.
Your excellency Ralph Waldo Emerson said in the 1800’s, “what you do speaks so loudly, I can’t hear what you are saying”. I am of the view that your government’s actions of terminating the services of persons or dismissing persons in the manner in which it has been doing over the past two weeks, is in violation of the Constitutional rights of citizens of Guyana, as it relates to their right to participate in political life, governance and work; and to be involve in work of their choice. Further, I would like to outline below 2 the specific Constitutional provisions in which the government’s actions are possibly in violation of, as well as the articles of the Charter of Civil Society of the Caribbean Community, the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights (UNDHR) and the Charter of the Commonwealth; assuming that we are to truly consider Guyana as a democracy and being govern based on democratic principles and guidelines as laid out in these documents.
Constitution of Guyana
The Constitution of Guyana states the rights of citizens as indicated below: • Article 10 – ‘The right to form political parties and their freedom of action are guaranteed. Political parties must respect the principles of national sovereignty and of democracy’. • Article 14 – ‘The goal of economic development includes the objective of creating, promoting and encouraging an economic system capable of achieving and maintaining sustainable competitive advantage in the context of a global competitive environment, by fostering entrepreneurship, individual and group initiative and creativity, and strategic alliances with local and global business partners in the private sector’. • Article 15 – ‘The goal of economic development includes the objective of laying the material basis for the greatest satisfaction of the people’s growing material, cultural and intellectual requirements, as well as dynamically stable development of their personality, creativity, entrepreneurial skills and co-operative relations in a plural society. The state shall intervene to mitigate any deleterious effects of competition of individuals or groups of individuals’. • Article 16 – ‘The state shall foster the development of such relevant forms of co-operation and business entities as are seen to be supportive of the goals of economic development with the aims and objectives stated or implied in articles 14 and 15’. • Article 21 – ‘The source of growth and social-wealth of the well-being of the people, and of each individual, is the labour of the people’. • Article 22 – (1) ‘Every citizen has a right to be rewarded according to the nature, quality and quantity of his or her work, to equal pay for equal work or work of equal value, and to just conditions of work’. (2) Every citizen who is able to work, has a duty to work’. • Article 38 A. –
‘To ensure that Guyana is a democratic state with a healthy economy, the State shall; (a) facilitate the engagement of citizens in activities designed to achieve their sustainable livelihoods; (c) encouraging and support the self-mobilization of citizens’. • Article 147 – (1) Except with his or her own consent, no person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his or her freedom of assembly, association, and freedom to demonstrate peacefully, that [is] to say, his or her right to assembly freely, to demonstrate peacefully, and to associate with other persons in particular to form or belong to political parties, trade unions or other associations for the protection of his or her interest’.
- Article 149 A. – ‘No person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of his or her right to work, that is to say, the right to free choice of employment’. • Article 149 C. – ‘No person shall be hindered in the enjoyment of participating through cooperatives, trade unions, civic or social organisations of a national character, in the management and decision-making processes of the state’. United Nations Declaration of Human Rights The United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states: 3 • Articles 20 – (1) ‘Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association. (2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association’. • Article 21 – (1) ‘Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives’. • Article 23 – (1) ‘Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment’. (2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work. (3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection’.
Charter of Civil Society the Caribbean Community
The Charter of Civil Society the Caribbean Community indicates: Article VI – Political Rights • 1.’The States shall ensure the existence of a fair and open democratic system through the holding of free elections at reasonable intervals, by secret ballot, underpinned by an electoral system in which all can have confidence and which will ensure the free expression of the will of the people in the choice of their representatives’. • 2.’The States shall take all appropriate measures to promote and maintain an effectively functioning representational system, including the holding of regular public sessions of representatives of the people’. • 3. ‘Every person shall have the right to: (a) form a political party or organisation; (b) join a political party or organisation of his or her choice; (c) attend public meetings of political parties or organisations; (d) participate in the activities of a political party or organisation; (e) give expression to his or her political beliefs in a peaceful manner; (f) make himself or herself available for nomination for and election to any public office for which he or she qualifies.’ Article XVIII – Participation in the Economy • 1.’The States shall facilitate access by their peoples to resources in such a manner as to promote economic growth, sustainable development and full employment, especially of the young people, and to enhance the opportunities for the achievement by every person of a reasonable and secure standard of living’. • 2.’Every person shall have the right freely and on the basis of full equality to engage in economic activities, including the right to participate in, establish and manage his or her own enterprise in the commercial, industrial, agricultural, service or other sectors’.
Charter of the Commonwealth
The Charter of the Commonwealth indicates: Democracy Section • Article 1 – ‘We recognise the inalienable right of individuals to participate in democratic processes, in particular through free and fair elections in shaping the society in which they live. Governments, political parties and civil society are responsible for upholding and promoting democratic culture and practices and are accountable to the public in this regard’. 4 • ‘We support the role of the Commonwealth Ministerial Action Group to address promptly and effectively all instances of serious or persistent violations of Commonwealth values without any fear or favour’. Your Excellency, I have decided that staying silent is not an option anymore. Remaining silent over the years while our governments executed their political and economic development programmes, from the governments standpoint, has resulted in the following: • The economic and development programmes over the past twenty-five to thirty years, have impacted negatively on the institution of the family, for example, particularly on our women and children. For instance, there has been significant expansion of the private security sector over the years.
One of the reasons for this expansion, is based on the situation of crime in our country; hence a demand has been created for more private security services. What is interesting, is that a significant part of the supply of labour for the private security sector consist of women, mainly black women. • Additionally, the economic development policies of governments over the past twenty-five to thirty years, have seen an increase in pavement vending, many of whom are women. While I recognized that these women are doing an honest day’s work for and honest day’s pay, I find it very concerning, that so many black women have become the ‘protectors’, as security guards and so many women are involved in pavement vending in our society over a sustained period.
What is even more concerning, is that many of these women are mothers and grandmothers, single parents and retirees; and in my view the economic development policy, strategy and programmes have not provided the scope for more choices and opportunities for families, and for inter-generational growth which would make provisions for more nurturing of the society’s children. • Another important point to note, is that while these women, as the caregivers in their families and the black family are providing security services, their male children and grandchildren, their black male children and grandchildren, are left without sufficient parental and family oversight and guidance. It is my view that at the level of government over the past thirty years, enough has not been done to orient and re-orient our young people, particularly our young men, as best-suited for the labour force, for example, in the private security services. Many of these young men if re-oriented, can provide services in the private security sector, while at the same time, they can further their vocational and academic skills and knowledge for their growth and development and that of their families, community and the wider society.
Your Excellency, as someone educated in the Social Sciences, I understand very well the subtlety of the process of restructuring of a society and the long-term impact in altering the economic, social and cultural aspects of the life of our citizens and groups in a society. The Economic development approach of governments over the past thirty years, have resulted in many of our young between the ages of 15 – 25 being categorize as the criminal elements in our society. Again, as someone in the Social Sciences, I know that life is about stimulus and response, hence one of the questions I keep asking is: What are the stimuli over the past thirty years, that contributed towards the nurturing of our young men, between the ages of 15 to 25, as the criminal elements in the society? When I was growing up in the 1970’s and 80’s, persons who committed crimes were older. Your Excellency, as I observe your new government terminating and dismissing persons over the past two weeks, essentially, stating that these persons ‘political appointees’, while I do understand that every new government ought to be given the space and scope to make the necessary changes in the public sector, in alignment with the goals and objectives of that government, I also wish to bring to your attention, that what I also see, is qualified persons generally, and more particularly, qualified black people, being removed from professional jobs in our society which, in some cases, I consider to be a violation of their Constitutional rights to participate in political life and to engage in work of their choice.
How does the government explain firing six or seven Regional Executive Officers of a total of ten, one week after the government has taken up office? The government has not even communicated its programme to the population in order to determine who will align with the goals and objectives of 5 the government and who will not, I am therefore suggesting to you that this action of your government, to remove many persons from their employment, is done for the most part, unfairly. Some persons may say that other Governments have done the same things before, while that might have been the case, my question is, should that be the continuous approach of all governments, even in 2020? Should that be the approach for a country with an economy that will grow by over 40% in 2020? Should that be an acceptable position for a country that will become one of the richest countries in the world due to oil production and export? The government has to start thinking as a government of a country that will become one of the richest countries in the world and only has a population of 750,000. It is important to note that in a democracy, citizens are members, and members are required to participate in politics, government, governance, etc.; should citizens not participate in political life for fear of losing their livelihoods if their group or party does not get into government? Should citizens refuse to serve as jurors for fear that the state would not protect them from possible retaliation from accused persons or their families? At some point as a country, there is need for a paradigm shift in our approach to governance and I am convinced that the time is now.
Having stated the above, I therefore request that your government give consideration to the following: • Generally – that the government review its approach to governance, in alignment of a more inclusive democratic approach that reflects more social and economic inclusion of various groups in the society. • That the government consider reassigning some of the persons who are listed for termination of dismissal, to other positions in the public service. For example, Imran Khan, the former Director of the Department of Public Information contract was terminated a few days ago and the next day his wife, Tamara Khan’s services were terminated from the Office of the Prime Minister. I am of the view that in cases such as these, where the income of a family will be impacted negatively, some persons can be re-assigned. Mrs. Khan could have been re-assigned to another agency. • That the government re-employ some of those persons whose services were terminated or who were dismissed and reassigned them to other positions and or to other agencies. • That the government provide for adequate notification and consultation with persons listed for termination and dismissal during this transition period • That the government review and revise, where necessary, its approach to governance to reduce fear and foster more economic and social inclusion in the society and result in a reversal of the negative impact on families, particularly women and children • That the government review and revise where necessary, its economic development programmes and approach to governance to deliberately address the socio-economic challenges of Afro-Guyanese families, particularly, women and young people. You Excellency, development must not only be seen but it must also be felt, in the Guyana context, it will be felt through sustainable social and economic inclusion programmes.
Finally, Your Excellency, I thought of sitting in my corner and remaining quiet, least there be retaliation from your government based on my convictions, however, I am inspired by late Senator John Lewis, the renown civil rights leader in the United States of America who said ‘Don’t be afraid to get into good trouble’. I might be getting into some trouble with my letter, but nevertheless, I consider it to be good trouble. If your government choose not to reflect and act on my points mentioned above and decide to target me, then I am prepare to suffer the consequences of my convictions, however, if your government interpret my letter as constructive criticism and endeavour to review and revise its governance approach which will augur well for an inclusive democracy and for reducing the fear and tension currently engulfing certain sections of our society; and mobilize, individuals, institutions and society around an inclusive society, then my missive would have accomplished some good.
Yours sincerely
Audreyanna Thomas