GUYANA | GTUC Blasts Government Over Political Exclusion, Economic Mismanagement

GEORGETOWN, Guyana, December 5, 2024 -  The Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) has launched a scathing critique of the government's management of the nation's affairs, particularly targeting Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo's recent declaration to exclude the Opposition from key decision-making processes.

In a hard-hitting statement issued Tuesday, GTUC General Secretary Lincoln Lewis condemned what he termed "political dysfunction" in society, warning that Jagdeo's stance not only violates constitutional provisions but threatens the fabric of Guyana's multiethnic democracy.

The trade union body pointed to Article 13 of the Constitution, which mandates inclusionary democracy, arguing that Jagdeo's position reflects a concerning pattern of governance that treats Guyana as "a one-party state where he presides as lord and others his minions."

Turning to economic matters, the GTUC expressed deep skepticism about the government's recent $100,000 cash grant initiative for adult citizens, suggesting it lacks proper oversight and could become "another field day for the corrupt within the system." The union emphasized that while Guyana has earned approximately 5.44 billion U.S. dollars from oil revenues and royalties as of September 2024, the majority of citizens remain no better off than before oil production began in December 2019.

Lewis painted a stark picture of growing inequality in the oil-rich nation, describing a "hustle economy" where some drive luxury vehicles while others struggle for basic necessities. Despite Guyana's status as the world's fastest-growing economy, he noted that roughly two-thirds of the population remains relatively poor compared to the country's vast wealth.

The GTUC leader took particular aim at infrastructure development, citing newly constructed roads that "look as though they were daubed over" and renovation projects that appear as "eyesores," suggesting that kickbacks, rather than quality, drive project completion. "We are not getting the bang for our bucks," Lewis declared, "The only people benefitting from this sham development are those who are getting the kickbacks."

Youth unemployment emerged as another critical concern in the union's statement, with Lewis dismissing the government's 10-day work programme as a political tool designed to create "stooges of the PPP" rather than provide meaningful training and employment opportunities.

The statement also addressed electoral reform, with the GTUC taking the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to task over what it described as a "corrupt" voters list. The union dismissed GECOM's citations of cost constraints and constitutional hurdles as "make-believe hindrances," insisting that biometric verification measures are essential for ensuring free and fair elections.

In a direct challenge to opposition leadership, Lewis called for increased political militancy, arguing that silence in the face of perceived government overreach "only serves to make a bad situation worse." The GTUC chief specifically urged Opposition Leader Aubrey Norton to "get up and assert himself and provide the society the required leadership."

The union's statement concluded with a pointed message to President Irfaan Ali, calling on him to cease "outsourcing the presidency" to Vice President Jagdeo and fulfill his constitutional mandate to work with opposition forces. Drawing on the union's own experience, Lewis emphasized that "power concedes nothing without a struggle."

The GTUC highlighted its standing 15-point proposal, first presented in 2019, for managing the nation's newfound oil wealth. The proposal, according to Lewis, would ensure equitable distribution and create "an enabling environment for all to thrive" – a sharp contrast to what he characterized as the current administration's haphazard approach to national development.

"In this wealthy nation the people deserve better, and we must deliver," Lewis declared, ending his statement with a rallying cry that echoed the frustration evident throughout: "Enough is enough!"

The statement represents one of the most comprehensive critiques of the current administration's governance style and economic management by a major labor organization in recent months, highlighting growing tensions between civil society groups and the government over the direction of Guyana's development in the oil era.

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