APNU/AFC must stop interfering in the functionality of constitutional agencies

Dear Editor,
This A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Government has been most sinister, deceptive and vindictive, as it relates to their blatant default regarding promised and expected performance of constitutional obligations. President Granger and his Ministers continue to employ manipulative tactics, which consistently politically interfere in the functionality of constitutional agencies which ought to be autonomous and impartial.
The deliberate manipulations by APNU/AFC cohorts are being effected not only through delays in establishment, but also efforts to contaminate and suppress by: restraining resources, placement of political stooges and outright defiance of independent decisions made by the agencies.
Consequent to the foregoing, Guyana has become a dark place lacking of buoyancy and luster. There is no one-off anomaly as the cyclical intolerable behaviour continues to be repeated, reducing the effectiveness of the agencies’ insulation of citizens while perpetuating the opportunities for fraud by those in Government.
Notably, the efforts to intensify this contaminated infusion by this disappointing Government are on the rise. The existence of numerous recent occurrences gives testimony. Among the many examples, a few instances for the purpose of highlight are as follow:
* First, the Guyana Elections Commission is now pauperised in terms of the need to balance the staffing under its employ; and its transparency outlook based on the unilateral appointment of a Government advisor, to its helm. As such, opposing parties are now forced to be extremely vigilant in ensuring that the Voters List is one that is thoroughly updated and verified, and no sort of bullish nonsense is accepted in this regard. Also, that counting in the place of Polls thoroughly attended to, and that very early rejection of sub-optimal approaches are made definitive and public. There is also a need for strong advocacy towards the prioritisation by the Judiciary of related dispute matters, as ones of national security to be heard and pronounced on immediately.
* Second, the Public Procurement Commission is another agency made into a toothless poodle that is moving at a snail’s pace. This occurs, even as the APNU/AFC Cabinet continues to pronounce on procurement matters, in breach of the National Procurement and Tender Administration Board approved legislation and procedures.
* Third, the Police Service Commission is another institution which has been illegally and personally targeted by President Granger; when he ordered that the organisation must halt its constitutional mandate, of considering and recommending Police promotions.
The APNU/AFC clan first moved to de-mobilise the constitutional agency by removing its head (which is still to be replaced), with the infamous introduction of ‘not fit and proper’ due to Granger’s view, that the Chairman was unsuitable because of his age. The diabolical hypocrisy has become a public spectacle as the rightful challenge to Granger’s dictatorial pronouncement, has been recently ruled illegal in the High Court.
* While not least by any specific purpose of design, the Local Government Commission (LGC) seems to be another targeted agency which efficacy and expected deliverables, the APNU/AFC is stealthily moving to keep in the starting blocks after all the fight and advocacy.
* Although monies were previously budgeted for the LGC, it was brought to light during the 2018 Budget debates that the Commissioners still do not have an office. Minister Bulkhan said the Commissioners are having meetings at the Parliament Buildings. Investigations have revealed that the LGC is being deliberately pushed around. The Commission held one meeting at the National Library where they had to pay for the venue. Why is it that such an important constitutional ‘body’ cannot have a fit and proper office?
More serious is the fact that after several months, the Commissioners are still to receive salaries.
The Minister of Communities during the scrutiny of the Estimates accepted that he did not budget enough money for the administering of the LGC in 2018. Simply put, this serious limitation of resources serves to reduce the entity to the toothless and voiceless poodle that the APNU/AFC wants in place. Why was a carefully organised and proper plan with all the necessary finance support, not prepared for the 2018 Budget? It seems as if the Communities Minister wants to starve the Commission and prevent them from doing their work effectively. We demand that the Government fully equipped the LGC office.

Sincerely,
Neil Kumar