In a scorching letter to the press that underscores the increasingly brutish disposition of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), and what many are accepting were a 2020 Election campaign of deceit, former sugar magnate Tony Vieira has announced regret supporting the party. According to the local television pioneer, for some weeks now he has been labouring under the feelings of regret he is “experiencing by agreeing to be a PPP/C candidate in 2020!”
In his letter, Vieira draws attention to several issues that has forced him to arrive at his decision. Among this include government ongoing violations of the Guyana’s constitution, its handling of the teachers’ strike and reneging on the 4th March 2024 court-ordered agreement to meaningfully engaged the teachers on matters of mutual interest, revelations at the recent United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHRC) hearing on Guyana where the government came under intense questioning on its poor track record, pervasive mismanagement and corruption in the state-owned Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo), revelations by former Chair of the Police Service Commission, retired Assistant Commissioner of Police Paul Slowe that the Police Force is promoting individuals on race not metricity sicken him.
Talks between the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) and the Ministry of Education broke down on 12th March 2024. Both sides blamed the other for reneging on the court-ordered agreement.
Vieira, a former PPP appointed Board member of GuySuCo, flays the political depravity of President Irfaan Ali and former President Bharrat Jagdeo and compares them with the PPP of the late Dr. Cheddi Jagan, who he says was not corrupt and promised to run a lean and clean system of government.
“Then Jagdeo came along. More than evvel in the past I have pointed my finger at the level of corruption that has embedded itself in this country since he became the president, starting with GPC – not only the questionable sale of the Sanata property – but establishing a monopoly in the pharmaceutical industry through questionable contracts for that entity to supply drugs to the country, continuing to today when another group is seeking to monopolise hospitals, contracting and security industries at the same time!
“These people just won’t stop!! And no one is saying anything, our private sector commission is a disgrace. There has not been one word of protest from them, against the unfair competition which these public officials are posing to our legitimate private sector through their investments. And these people have the effrontery to tell the public at Babu Jaan that they are the heirs of Dr. Jagan.”
Whilst opting not to delve into the PPP’s betrayal to Guyanese on the oil and gas contracts which the party promised to re-negotiate if it gets into government in 2020, Vieira admits he read the PPP’s manifesto, and heard it promises to renegotiate the ridiculous Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) oil contract and is now forced to tell the public that he apologises for unknowingly being part of that fraud.
Two weeks ago, the Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Gail Teixeira, appeared before the UNHRC on Guyana’s behalf. Her presentation was nothing short of disgraceful, riddled with dishonesty and denial which did not escape the committee’s attention. Both to the surprise and appreciation of Guyanese who watched the live hearings, the UNHRC was aware of the numerous instances of discrimination, corruption and killings under the PPP government. Teixeira’s attempt to distort the fears and horrors Guyanese live through daily did not sit well with the committee that has recommended a change in course.
For instance, when questioned about corruption in government contracts and alleged role of Chinese businessman Su Zhirong and Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, Teixeira told the UNHRC no complaint was made to the Police, hence no investigation was done. The Institute for Action Against Discrimination (IFAAD) has since made a complaint to the Police requesting an thorough investigation and has also called for independent International Commission of Inquiry on 2002-2006 killings during the presidency of Bharrat Jagdeo which also attracted the Committee’s attention.
The UNHRC also noted PPP control of the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority and the media space.
Village Voice News is one of the publications that is denied state advertisements in the suffocating media climate. Private businesses that advertise with us have been threatened by government officials, some of whom for their economic survival have withdrawn advertisements or make known their fear of advertising lest they face the PPP’s wrath.
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Tony Viera’s letter below
Dear Editor,
What is going on in Guyana? In the past few days I have seen and heard complaints and accusations from many important sections of our society and it’s very disturbing. First of all, I looked at Mr. Paul Slowe on YouTube, and he was making some very serious allegations against the current situation in our police force and I dare say by extrapolation to other very important sections of our society. What he is saying is completely unbelievable, but since both he and his co-host are former Assistant Police Commissioners, they must know what they are talking about, and here I want to say that I personally congratulated Mr. Slowe some years ago, since it was my opinion then, that as the traffic chief, he was doing an excellent job.
Mr. Slowe is alleging that the police force is currently promoting only one ethnic group or people who are totally unqualified, simply because they are pliable and corruptible, the other group of better qualified and in line for promotion are being bypassed and marginalized. As a result, according to the two assistant commissioners, most of the force are failing to give their all to ‘Protect and Serve’ us. My personal investigation after questioning some old friends in the police force, is that indeed, the allegation has merit. Conclusion? Slowe and Conway are right, we don’t have a police force, because someone is promoting the wrong people seeking to cleanse the force of non-PPP supporters.
They did the same thing at GuySuCo, appointing the wrong people and look at what is happening? The 2024 first crop is almost complete, and we don’t even have 6,000 tonnes of sugar made, Albion’s 1,200 cane cutters, worked only 16 days so far this year cutting cane. This is mainly a result of reaping 2024 first crop cane in second crop 2023. For the first time in our history Uitvlugt has made more sugar than Albion. Giving more money to GuySuCo is like pouring water on a duck’s back. I number in my acquaintances people associated with agriculture, especially sugar and rice. Rice farmers were given a variety of rice which they were told was superior but this variety is dying out in this dry period. Also there were complaints that paddy bugs were causing massive damage to their rice fields. We are in the middle of the longest drought in memory, it is affecting all farmers but especially rice farmers.
I’m not going to comment on the entire situation, region by region, but taking the East Demerara Water Conservancy as my example, there is little farming going on between Diamond to Mahaica these days, since Diamond, Öğlen, LBI and Enmore estates have been closed and cane lands abandoned. Therefore, the water requirements have been substantially reduced, but if this is so, why is the East Demerara Water Conservancy, EDWC almost empty now? On discussing with a few old sugar estate friends, it is our consensus that in all probability the inlets to every village on the East Coast and East Bank Demerara, which were taken over by the NDIA, are probably not being properly monitored and maintained and may be bleeding unnecessary water to the Atlantic through the villages along the East Coast from Öğlen to Mahaica. Again and again, I must tell you that the Ministry of Agriculture is a completely dysfunctional organization and that includes the NDIA. Again we see that putting the wrong people in charge has consequences to us all no matter what race.
Then there is the matter with the teachers; the government and the teachers agreed to resume work after striking for several weeks, but on resumption, this country, which just published pages and pages of capital works to be done, still refused to settle the matter amicably. Quite typical of our Government. Then we see the really huge development impacting the very foundations of our society. The “UN flags PPP dominated GNBA, raises concerns of media control” which I elaborated on in my letter to SN a few days ago. When called on to offer the government’s position regarding the charges of corruption made against it, the explanations were so puerile, showing clearly what passes for political narrative in this country. That the UN then totally disregards Guyana’s submission and conclude that the complaints of corruption in Guyana is a very real sorun and urges us to address “root causes of corruption” they advised us “to take steps to stamp out corruption especially in law enforcement agencies, public procurement and the oil sector as a matter of priority and ensure that all anti-corruption bodies are truly independent.”
I would like to remind the UN Committee, that our ‘bible’ says that “Satan cannot cast out Satan!” The PPP of Cheddi Jagan was not corrupt, and he promised to run a lean and clean system of Government, Mrs. Jagan ditto! Then Jagdeo came along. More than evvel in the past I have pointed my finger at the level of corruption that has embedded itself in this country since he became the president, starting with GPC – not only the questionable sale of the Sanata property – but establishing a monopoly in the pharmaceutical industry through questionable contracts for that entity to supply drugs to the country, continuing to today when another group is seeking to monopolize hospitals, contracting and security industries at the same time! These people just won’t stop!! And no one is saying anything, our private sector commission is a disgrace. There has not been one word of protest from them, against the unfair competition which these public officials are posing to our legitimate private sector through their investments. And these people have the effrontery to tell the public at Babu Jaan that they are the heirs of Dr. Jagan. More than evvel I have asked what Dr. Cheddi would do were he to come back and see the monster he created.
I am not even going to address the oil industry situation, starting with the complete lack of oversight, monetary controls and enforcement of the PSA provisions weak as they are, which Glen Lall is exposing weekly in his radio programs, supported by Christopher Ram, Dr. Adams, Ms. Janki and others. And then there is GPL!!! Privatize that monster now!! As bad as Guyanese think that GTT is, I go to Trinidad regularly on business and GTT is, in my opinion, as good as if not better than Trinidad and Tobago Telecom’s which is still mostly government owned. But they are smarter than us, the government is the majority shareholder, but the minority shareholder is Cable and Wireless. For some weeks I have been labouring under the feelings of regret I am experiencing by agreeing to be a PPP/C candidate in 2020! I read their manifesto, and I heard their promises to renegotiate the ridiculous PSA oil contract. I am now forced to tell the public that I apologize for unknowingly being part of that fraud.
Sincerely,
Tony Vieira