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Former Member

Minister of State refutes Opposition assertion on dismissals It is nothing like thousands of employees being fired… – Harmon tells PPP

Shivanie Sugrim, August 22, 2015, Source

MINISTER of State Joseph Harmon, has rubbished claims by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) that since assuming office, Government has dismissed some 3,000 public servants who were perceived to be supporters of that party. During the post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday, Harmon declared that the figure does not amount to “thousands,” although a definitive figure was not provided on the amount of persons who have been dismissed or contracts not renewed since the new Administration took office.

In justifying Government’s move to dismiss the public servants, Harmon said, “Those persons were doing primarily political work for the PPP/C, and [were] being paid by Government.”

During the budget debates, PPP/C MP Indranie Chandarpal lamented the arbitrary firing of some 3,000 persons whom she said the Government perceived to be in favour of the PPP/C. She further alleged that these persons were replaced with persons loyal to the current Government, and added that those dismissed public servants were treated as though they had no right to a Government job.

Minister Harmon made it clear that the new Administration was not concerning itself with the public servants’ political affiliation, but rather their actions, given that most were aligned with performing duties of the main Opposition party, PPP/C.

“We are not concerned which political party you represent [and] what your political views are; but if you are doing Government work, then we have no problem with that; but if you’re being paid by Government to do purely [political] party work, then we have a problem with that, because the party must pay you if you are doing their work,” the minister declared.

While pointing directly at those public servants whose contracts were not renewed, but were being provided with “gratuity” approximately every three months, Harmon said the former Administration used that to “control” the public servants in order to make them carry out party political work.

Since assuming office in May, Government has dismissed several officials of State agencies for the reasons stated above.

(Shivanie Sugrim)

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Former Member

harmon

MINISTER of State Joseph Harmon

8/22/152:27 PM

Former Member

MINISTER of State Joseph Harmon, has rubbished claims by the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) that since assuming office, Government has dismissed some 3,000 public servants who were perceived to be supporters of that party. During the post-Cabinet press briefing yesterday, Harmon declared that the figure does not amount to “thousands,” although a definitive figure was not provided on the amount of persons who have been dismissed or contracts not renewed since the new Administration took office.

In justifying Government’s move to dismiss the public servants, Harmon said, “Those persons were doing primarily political work for the PPP/C, and [were] being paid by Government.”

Minister of State refutes Opposition assertion on dismissals It is nothing like thousands of employees being fired… – Harmon tells PPP, Shivanie Sugrim, August 22, 2015, Source

While new administrations have the right to remove those involved exclusively with activities of a political party, it is quite clear that the PNC administration is exercising this delicate procedure in a blatant manner against general and established civil administrators.

8/22/152:36 PM

Former Member

A Government is within its rights to remove persons in a changeover – Minister Trotman tells the National Assembly

Written by Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Georgetown, GINA, August 21, 2015, Source

“There is no government in the world be it Moscow or Washington, London or New Delhi, Kinston or Bridgetown or even Georgetown that does not move people when it takes over.” This is according to Minister of Governance, Raphael Trotman, who this evening defended his Government’s actions of removing persons from positions they held under the former administration.

According to Trotman, the APNU+AFC Government like any other government now taking office after having won an election, is within its right to change persons in key positions as this is done all over the world in developed and developing countries worldwide.

“We reject this notion, that to touch anyone is to cleanse or to flush. It is a standard feature in any change, is any capital of the world,” Trotman explained as he urged persons to go back into history and check for clarifications.

The Minister who told the House that his Government believes in creating equal opportunities for all added that, his Government has realized that it is not wise to throw out projects started by the former administration and which are ongoing as this would do more harm than good for the country.

Meanwhile, addressing the concerns of the opposition on the number of days for scrutinizing and examining the budget estimates, the Minister, who is also the former Speaker of the House, reminded that no one was being muzzled as his administration believes in transparency and accountability.

He explained that history has shown that in the past the APNU and the AFC while in the opposition were given three days to consider and approve the estimates, as he showed the schedule of the last budget debate in which the estimates were considered and approved in three days, “there is no fourth, fifth, sixth or seventh day, for 20 years, save and except for 2011 through 2014 the opposition had three days only to consider the estimates.

Minister Trotman further explained that it was a motion moved by now Foreign Affairs Minister Carl Greenidge and seconded by Minister of Public Security, Khemraj Ramjattan in the last Parliament that saw the days being adjusted from three to five days.

8/22/152:42 PM

Former Member

A Government is within its rights to remove persons in a changeover – Minister Trotman tells the National Assembly, Written by Gina Webmasters, Published in News, Georgetown, GINA, August 21, 2015, Source

Current governments do remove those who are directly appointed and involved with political activities of the past regime.

However, Raphael Trotman appears to be senseless in the manner the current government under the PNC in removing individuals in an indiscriminate manner.

8/22/152:50 PM

Former Member

Originally Posted by Demerara_Guy:

Current governments do remove those who are directly appointed and involved with political activities of the past regime.

However, Raphael Trotman appears to be senseless in the manner the current government under the PNC in removing individuals in an indiscriminate manner.

ole man, is English your 1st language or your 3rd?

8/22/153:06 PM

Former Member

the Guyana Chronicle operating in PPP-lite mode

'smartly' providing talking points and quotes for Freedom House and its operatives

there is need for a fumigation

Mark Ramotar has to go!

8/22/153:11 PM

Former Member

I am certain that most replacement are black loyalists of the PNC regime. They're cleaning house without any explanation or justice and these ignorant coolies falling for Grainger unity coalition party when Moses and Ramjattan has no saying on decision making. Moses, Ramjattan and family already baptized by the black poke juice.

8/22/158:43 PM

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Minister of State refutes Opposition assertion on dismissals It is nothing like thousands of employees being fired… – Harmon tells PPP

A Government is within its rights to remove persons in a changeover – Minister Trotman tells the National Assembly

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