You may start your analysis of the trademark nepotism  permeated by the Jagdeo administration, which is demonstrated in the  appointees to the New Building Society, as well as in the cases in various other State agencies.

Don't you agree that the phenomenon is a fundamental departure from Cheddi Jagan’s approach between 1992 and 1997?

You are making me laugh.   Please don't call the PPP democratic when they refuse to host local government elections.  Rather than doing so they try to foist people who haven't been selected by the people to replace those who were elected 20 years ago.

Heist of the Telecoms, Media sector…  Proposed legislation will place Guyana’s future in the hands of a few…something must be done to stop this – APNU

“Something has to be done about this wholesale heist of the telecommunications sector by a few persons to control this major growth sector. This lawlessness must never happen again”.

Joseph Harmon

This is the view expressed by A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) parliamentarian, Joseph Harmon, who supports the views held by leader of the Alliance For Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan, who had denounced the fact that three of the four companies named in a proposed law to be handed Telecommunications Licences are closely aligned to the former President, Bharrat Jagdeo. Harmon told this publication yesterday, that given the nature of, and projected growth of the communications sector in Guyana, those who have been identified for licences will literally hold the fate of the country in their hands. He said that by arbitrarily putting all this power in the hands of a few, it will allow them to have control over the future of the country. Harmon said that no matter which Government is in power, it will be these few non-elected persons who will decide and “control the future of Guyana for the rest of our lives.” This, he said, cannot be allowed to happen, and the Opposition parties will have to ensure that the playing field is once again leveled so that all can have fair access to be able to compete in the sector. Kaieteur News in recent weeks has been publishing a detailed series, illustrating how a few persons would have essentially been positioned to take over the communications industry in Guyana. Three companies, Quark Communications Inc., Global Technology’s i-Net Communications and E-Networks have been identified to receive Telecommunications Licences under the proposed changes to the Telecommunications Law. Armed with such a licence, the companies would be able to compete directly with Digicel and the Guyana Telephone and Telegraph Company (GT&T), once the laws are passed in the National Assembly and assented to by President Donald Ramotar. More glaring is that the three companies would have been rapidly expanding their distribution network knowing that the proposed changes in the law mandate that they would be given a licence, while others interested in the market would have been restricted. Registration documents filed with Government found that all three companies were filled with shareholders who have known ties with Jagdeo, with at least one person being directly related. Harmon told this publication that APNU would be looking to work along with the AFC on the way forward. He said, too, that it is not only the Telecommunications Law that needs to be addressed, and he will also bring amendments for the Broadcast Act.

Winston Brassington

According to Harmon, too much power is placed in the hands of the Minister of Information, a portfolio that former President Jagdeo had arrogated unto himself. The status quo remains, with the sitting president holding the portfolio of Minister of Information. It was this overarching power in the hands of the Minister that allowed Jagdeo to name the three companies to receive licences, according to Harmon. He said that the power has to be devolved from the Minister and placed into bodies such as the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority, which then has to be accountable to the Parliament. While the select committee is yet to be named to address the amendments to the Telecommunications Bill, Harmon has made it clear that changes have to be made to ensure that the ‘dictatorial and arbitrary’ practices do not continue. Ramjattan on Monday told this publication that his party, which controls seven of the 65 seats in the National Assembly, had found it strange that Government had decided upfront who the four companies that will be receiving licences would be. “A telecoms licence is not a joke that is handed willy-nilly to anyone…We are supposed to have an open, transparent system allowing everyone to have a chance to compete.” Ramjattan said that “to decide beforehand who you want to operate in the market is indeed strange and worrying…We can draw some conclusions from this…We will move to make some changes to change this criminal nonsense.” Ramjattan’s worry is not unfounded.

Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop

Jagdeo’s best friend, Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop, is a director in Global Technology.  Quark Communications Inc. has its operations running out of Ramroop’s property at Versailles, West Bank Demerara. Winston Brassington, a controversial figure who spearheaded a number of large scale projects for Government including the Marriott Hotel and the troubled Amaila Falls hydro facility, is a central figure in Quark. Quark’s main founder is Brian Yong. He is known to be a close friend of Jagdeo and was even on his party’s elections campaign as a candidate in 2011. Vishok Persaud, a main principal in E-Networks, is also a close friend of the former President and the son of a former party stalwart, the late Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud. Already, both E-Networks and Quark have been awarded licences for operating cable TV. The controversial approvals were made days before Jagdeo ended his Presidential term of office in 2011 when he also green-lighted the operations of several radio stations, most of them going to persons and companies with close ties to the ruling party. Several established media houses who had applied for licences, including Kaieteur News, Stabroek News and CNS 6, were overlooked in the 2011 decision by the former president. “To place this much power under unclear circumstances in a few persons’ hands is highly dangerous, and not only to national security.”

These three companies were mandated to receive Telecommunications Licences.

Carib

I addressed the issue of the failure of the PPP to hold Local Elections and deemed it undemocratic in another thread. 

He is also pointing out the control freakism by Jagdeo and the PPP/Centralism. Fish starts to rotten from the head. So another good place to start is Jagdeo's wealth accumulation and gifts to his friends.

Mr Mitwah speak true.

Rig election = Corruption

Deny election = Corruption

"Corruption is worse than prostitution. The latter might endanger the morals of an individual, the former invariably endangers the morals of the entire country." -- Karl Kraus.

Gilbakka prefers Gaumont to Freedom House any day.

I don't know why Nehru forsook Gaumont and embraced dem F-House people. Stupid man.

NOTE TO YUJI: Forgive me for treating your thread lightly, sir. If I take it seriously I will become a bomb maker.

Mits

PPP/Centralism is outdated and must be replaced. As for Jagdeo and his friends, the opposition may include this as part of their Election Platform and let the people decide at the polls. Looks like the AFC will pass a no confidence motion as per Moses.

That's the way a democracy works.

The AFC has top notch lawyers, it is time that they put their money where their mouth is and provide legal proof so that there can be prosecution. The AFC lacks cohesive leadership and needs to involve the grassroots otherwise it may be no better than the current PPP. Please take this criticism like a professional.

Guyana needs to move forward and only a National Patriotic Front Government can bring that change. Who leads it and who are capable in forming such a government is up to the People and mature politicians.

I have concluded that most politicians in Guyana today are no different from the ones in North America. They can talk and talk is cheap.

What prosecution? Ashni was involved in a hit an run. Was he prosecuted? Who controls the Judicial? The judicial system is corrupted. Any prosecution will have to happen outside of the country. Like I said start with the head of the fish and follow the money trail.

Let's not forget the poisoning of Puran. He was a menace to the PPP.

Guyana slips further on Transparency’s Corruption Index

Guyana ranked a very poor 27 out of 100 points in the Transparency International 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

The report was released this morning. Last year, Guyana scored 28 points.

Guyana is again doing worse than every other country in  Caricom except for Haiti (19) which has also traditionally been one of the worst performers.

Transparency International (TI) premiered a new methodology last year where countries are ranked from 1 to 100 points with 100 representing the least corrupt. Any score below 50 indicates a serious problem and though it is not possible to meaningfully compare Guyana’s performance with the previous methodology, the country remains in the bracket of those with a very serious problem.

By contrast, Barbados scored 75 points, the highest in Caricom, The Bahamas 71, St Lucia 71, Trinidad and Tobago 38 and Jamaica 38. Suriname came in at 36 this year.

The perception of corruption has remained a big problem for the Ramotar administration over the last two years.

The CPI 2013 measures perceived levels of public sector corruption in 177 countries/territories.

In a statement accompanying the report, TI which first issued a report in 1995, said

“Corruption continues to have a devastating impact on societies and individuals around the world, with more than two-thirds of countries surveyed scoring less than 50 out of 100 in the latest Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI).

“Despite 2013 being a year in which governments around the world passed new laws and forged fresh commitments to end corruption, people are not seeing the results of these promises.

“Anti-corruption is an increasingly attractive platform for politicians, with many incorporating anti-corruption pledges into their election campaigns. It reflects waning public tolerance towards corruption. The danger, however, is that these anti-corruption promises fail to materialise.

“Government guarantees of greater accountability do not always bring about tangible results at the local level. Protests in Brazil this summer showed public exasperation at the continuation of political scandals in spite of governmental assurances of a zero-tolerance policy on corruption.

Words must be backed by action

“Some countries, such as Estonia, have seen improved CPI scores go hand in hand with efforts to combat corruption, such as the development of a new anti-corruption strategy.

“Other countries, however, prove that words are not enough in the fight against corruption. After a summer blighted by political scandals indicating a lack of accountability and fading public trust, Spain tried to remedy its corruption troubles with a new Transparency Law.

It is certainly a step in the right direction, but the provisions do not go far enough. This missed opportunity to bring about significant legislative changes is particularly worrying given Spain’s six-point drop in this year’s index.

“While countries such as Myanmar have seen significant improvements in the perceived success of their anti-corruption efforts; on average, perceived levels of corruption have failed to improve globally since 2012.

“EU and Western European countries continue to perform best with an average score of 66, while Sub-Saharan African countries once again show the highest perceived levels of public sector corruption, averaging a score of 33.

“But scores vary widely within each region and with a global average of just 43, all regions have a long way to go in curbing corruption.

Corruption persists in being a pervasive force in the public sector, hurting citizens in their daily lives and in times of dire need.”

http://www.stabroeknews.com/20...ys-corruption-index/

Mits

I have to disagree. First, provide the proof and let the people be the judge at the elections. I do not disagree that corruption exists in Guyana  but in any modern and civilized society, especially where there are lawyers involved, we must first provide legal proof.

That is the basis for any legal and civilized process to begin.

The AFC must start provide legal proof sufficient enough to prosecute. 

As I said before, talk is cheap. Let us furnish the proof and let the prosecutions begin, jail and hang the corrupt. Until that happens, many ordinary folks will not understand the complexity of fraud and corruption and will dismiss claims as more talk.

Politicians in Guyana have become like their counterparts in North America. They can talk and talk is cheap.

Yugi22, remember the "Butter Cup" story?

https://guyana.crowdstack.io/topic/ra...ption-within-the-ppp