The A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) said inspite of the countless utterances from President Irfaan Ali about ‘one Guyana’ and inclusive governance there is evidence of discrimination, cronyism, and divisiveness.
Pointing out with regards to the representation of the Opposition on State Boards, the current Leader of the Opposition has received no request from the government for an opposition representative, though several boards were recently appointed.
This breach the opposition said extends to boards on which the Opposition is a statutory member, such as the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority.
Were the PPP government genuine about inclusion, one would have expected that it would have followed the practice of inviting the Opposition to be represented on a wide range of state boards, authorities, and commissions – whether or not the relevant statutes so dictated. It has completely ignored to do so. Instead, it has sneakily appointed and reappointed boards in several sectors.
“Clearly, the government does not like scrutiny and has a likeness for corruption. The non-appointment of opposition members to state boards is one sure way of ensuring the government corruption can continue to flourish without scrutiny. As it protects the likes of Jagdeo who has been fingered in allegations of bribery and corruption the government cannot afford scrutiny.”
Speaking at its Tuesday press conference, Mervyn Williams said it is opportune to recall opposition representation on boards is a practice that was birthed through several high-level bilateral talks between the major parties. “All parties had then agreed that the presence of the Opposition on State Boards promotes inclusivity and transparency in government. Evidently, the present PPP regime prefers to practice the politics of exclusion.”
Unlike the PPP, which boycotted all state boards after its electoral defeat in 2015, the APNU+AFC Coalition has announced or indicated no such position or intention, stated the Opposition.
Further, the opposition said the government must recognise it has an obligation to ensure the opposition is represented on state boards and should act to rectify this problem, and calls on the to inform the people of Guyana whether it intends to honour its obligation and ensure the participation (statutory and non-statutory) of the Opposition on the boards of all sectors.
