Dear Editor,
As consultant to the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), I was invited by its President and CEO to be one of several resource personnel during the Business Session of the recently concluded 19th Biennial Delegates’ Conference. I did make a presentation on the topic, The Declining Role and Status of the Less Educated Male in Guyana, to a large and enthusiastic audience comprising mostly the union’s membership.
I was present for the entire duration of the opening ceremony of the conference, which was convened at the National Cultural Centre on Wednesday, September 28, 2011. As I recall, several notable and prominent persons were in attendance, including Prime Minister Samuel Hinds; Minister of Labour Manzoor Nadir; Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President Dr Nanda Gopaul; General Secretary of GAWU Seepaul Narine; President of the Guyana Trades Union Congress Norris Witter (GTUC); and General Secretary of the GTUC Lincoln Lewis; and Chairman of the Private Sector Commission Ramesh Dookhoo, among many others. To my mind, the presence of these invitees not only demonstrated the breadth of stakeholder interest in GPSU’s activities, but it was also a reflection of the union’s openness and willingness to seek the widest possible involvement and participation in the dissemination of its programmes.
I was, therefore, perturbed on reading the erroneous reporting in Kaieteur News of October 1, 2011 that was the genesis of a PPP/C missive to the Guyana Elections Commission (Gecom) to remove the GPSU as a domestic observer for the forthcoming general and regional elections. I consider the purported alleged remarks made by Sister Deborah Murphy, General Secretary of the union, a non sequitur; they had no bearing on the theme or deliberations of the conference. From my observation, her role was limited to recognising those present and, most important, reading verbatim greetings from fraternal organisations.
It appears to be that what appeared in KN of October 1 is a figment of the reporter’s over-active imagination. Note carefully, that though other media outlets were in attendance, none has so far attested to the events described in KN.
During the week of conference, Dr Steve Surujbally, Chairman of Gecom, made a presentation at one of the business sessions. I was in attendance when he commented favourably on GPSU’s wide geographic and varied membership.
Dr Surujbally’s lecture was well received; the members had a thorough ventilation of their questions and answers in a respectable and professional atmosphere. In my view, had not a climate of non-partisanship existed, Dr Surujbally would neither have graced the proceedings with his presence nor would he have been enthused with the active participation of the members that he witnessed.
I am, therefore, amazed that though this matter was ventilated fully in the press, and a response given by the President of the Guyana Public Service Union that clearly and definitively challenged the misrepresentations, that they would continue to be perpetuated especially by persons who were not present at the opening ceremony.
Editor, I sense that mischief is afoot in this highly charged elections environment. I was there and I state categorically that the allegations and accusations are false. At no time did the President or the members of Central Executive of the union request the delegates or membership present to reveal their political preference. Clearly, though, each member remains free to exercise his/her franchise.
The Guyana Public Service Union has been involved in this exercise since 1997 and has not been found wanting. There is no reason to presume that they would not be morally upright in the execution of their tasks in relation to the 2011 elections. They should be encouraged to continue their role as a monitoring organisation for free and fair elections in Guyana.
Yours faithfully,
Ivor S Mitchell
Christine McEachern Smith
Distinguished Professor
Marketing and International Business
