The opposition PPP today decried what it said was a spate of `witch-hunting’ embarked upon by the new APNU+AFC government.
A statement by the PPP follows:
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) wishes to draw attention to the vicious ongoing witch-hunt that the de-facto Granger Administration has launched within the public service and beyond.
Contrary to the bleatings of government officials, the witch-hunt exercise is proceeding at a fast and furious rate. Thus far, permanent secretaries, presidential guards, contract workers, media workers, advisers, Chairmen and Members of State Boards, Diplomats, Regional Executive Officers to mention a few have had their services terminated with immediate effect and without their legally due benefits.
As this uncalled for human resource hemorrhaging continues as a result of the witch-hunt, concurrently government officials are constantly attempting to intrude and issue instructions to constitutionally autonomous and statutory bodies over which they have absolutely no authority.
In addition, the Party received a flood of reports that reinforces the existence of a general atmosphere of intimidation, fear, distrust and uneasiness within the public service, to the extent that public servants have been warned about the risk of losing their jobs were they not to act ‘’professionally’’, meaning towing the political line of the de-facto Granger Administration, a practice long abandoned when the PPC came into office in 1992.
According to the Guyana Chronicle edition of May 30, 2015, the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) issued a statement on the Broomes/Lawrence/Green imbroglio, the first manifestation of executive lawlessness and intolerance.
In its statement the GTUC said,
‘’workers of this country are looking to this new government for change that will see their rights upheld. Indiscriminate practices by the political directorate of the coalition will not be given a pass for where such behavior were considered wrong under the PPP, they cannot now be accepted under the APNU/AFC. ‘’
The GTUC went on to condemn what it termed:
‘’the early signs of intolerance and an inability to respond and resolve individual conflict’’
Soon after the event involving Ms. Broomes and Ms. Lawrence another episode followed. Ms. Broomes once again over-stepped her boundary. In a letter addressed to the Public Service Commission (PSC) she directed that the Commission should cease functioning and making decisions in respect to appointments of public servants until so directed by Mr. Granger.
Ms. Broomes is either being bullish or ignorant of the fact that the PSC is an autonomous, statutory body as described in section 200-203 of the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana and cannot be dictated to by a Minister of Government.
And as regards the allegation by Ms. Broomes that the Public Service Commission (PSC) is engaging in ‘’clandestine efforts to fill vacancies in the public service’’ she has been unable to provide any evidence to validate this obnoxious accusation.
Moreover, the PPP takes strong objection to Mr. Ramjattan’s barefaced intrusion and interference in the operations of the Guyana Police Force (GPF) in general and more specifically his attempts to undermine the authority of the Commissioner of Police by consulting with junior officers on the placement of senor ranks at various locations and posts while the Commissioner of Police is out of the jurisdiction. These efforts are clearly aimed at discrediting the C.O.P and causing dissention between the Commissioner and other officers of the Force.
And as though to add insult to injury, Mr. Ramjattan in his quest for justice, rather than proceeding to the Courts, sought to direct the Police Service Commission (PSC) to dismiss a serving member of the Force in order to achieve a means to an end. Here again, we witness another attempt at intruding in the affairs of a constitutional body without due regard to established legal and statutory provisions.
What a sorry state of affairs!
Not only is witch-hunting widespread throughout the country, simultaneously there is selective head-hunting through a process of social and financial bribes aimed at buying competent employees who served professionally and competently under the former PPPC Administration but whose valuable services the regime cannot afford to dispense with, less the quality and efficiency of public service which the PPPC left behind plummets.
The PPP condemns the spiteful, vengeful, unprincipled and arbitrary approach adopted by the de-facto Granger Administration to terminate the services of many Guyanese patriots who by dint of hard work have contributed significantly and heroically to the development of their homeland.
The PPP warmly congratulates these patriots and unsung heroes and call upon them to stand firm in their conviction and preparedness to continue their contribution to the development of their country.
The Party reaffirms that all the talk emanating from the APNU+AFC Coalition means nothing, when from the far reaches of the Rupununi to Crabwood Creek, Guyanese nationalists and patriots who genuinely care about the future of their country are instead cast aside, vilified, demonized and destroyed professionally.
The PPP will not stand idly by and allow the de-facto Granger Administration to ride rough-shod over the civil and political rights of Guyanese.
