Williams says APNU favours post-election coalition – urges govt to give workers more $$$, relief

BY MICHAEL YOUNGE –

A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) Member of Parliament (MP) Basil Williams has sent a strong signal on Wednesday which indicated the opposition’s desire for constitutional reforms to take place which could see the post-electoral coalitions becoming a reality, and part of the Guyanese political system.
“A single constitutional change before the last elections would have crystallised the PPP’s position. Had our Constitution a provision for post-elections coalitions, to yield up a president and thus form the government, that one-seat would have given the APNU- AFC (grouping) the president and government majority), and the PPP/ C (People’s Progressive Party/ Civic) the minority,” he said during his budget debate contribution.

Williams’ comments came on the heels of the APNU’s call for electoral and constitutional reforms which would change the manner in which politicians acquire power and legitimacy in the National Assembly. The two opposition political parties merely have a one-seat majority in the Parliament, but could not have formed the government because both lacked a simple majority, given the fact that the ruling party won 32 seats.
Williams was also responding to hard-hitting comments made by government MP Dr Vindhya Persaud, who accused the opposition of misusing their one-seat majority and parliamentary muscle to make decisions that have and would have an adverse impact on the country’s overall socio-economic development.
Williams suggested that were the PPP/ C to be in the majority, it would have acted similarly to the opposition.
Higher public service wages
Meanwhile, Williams called on the government to recognise its responsibilities to the workers and public servants of Guyana, as he advocated the need for a holistic realignment of the wages and salaries as well as other benefits that they receive.
“Mr Speaker, I have shown how, over the last 12 years, the public servants have had no real increase in wages and salaries, because of the annually imposed five per cent increases by the government,” the APNU parliamentarian explained.
He accused government of “fooling around with the lives and well-being of the public servants in Guyana” as he expressed the opposition’s dissatisfaction with the manner in which the administration continues to address general issues related to the well-being of the workers in the bauxite industry and other sectors related to the labour environment.
The APNU MP also decried what he called the splitting-up of bargaining units and the government-driven divisions within the labour movement and among trade unions. He called for Labour Minister Nanda Kishore Gopaul to intervene in the many labour disputes that are eating away at the patience and happiness of Guyanese workers. “When will Dr Gopaul fulfil his responsibilities to the bauxite workers of RUSAL, in the same expeditious manner that he has intervened and settled matters for workers in other sectors,” he asked.
Legal challenges necessary
Williams said it is apparent that the government believes that the delivery of justice lies in improved infrastructure.
“The fact of the matter is, Mr Speaker, this budget reiterates the government’s preference for brick and mortar over flesh and blood,” he noted.
He alleged that billions have been spent on the construction of new courts and refurbishing existing ones, as he alluded to the nonfunctioning of the Lenora and the Georgetown magistrates’ courts.
“But what of the quality of the delivery? Why can’t we be impacted on a mere visual apprehension after the spending of all that money? Why not modernised court rooms; fully air-conditioned; microphones and a digital recording system… surely this would speed up trials,” he reasoned.