Police Commissioner Winston Felix told the Government Information Agency (GINA) that he is pleased with the acquisition of the vehicles, since it shows that the government is committed to equip the Force with the tools to fight crime.

This arrangement to have the vehicles was as a result of the discussion President Bharrat Jagdeo had with the Indian Government during his State visit to that country in August 2003”, the Police Commissioner told GINA.

Guyana and India have had amicable relations spanning more than three decades and President Jagdeo's visit sought to enhance cooperation in several areas, including crime fighting, the agency said.

Corbin calls for progress on national development plan
LEADER of the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R), Mr. Robert Corbin has issued a call for progress on the national development plan based on the principles and objectives outlined in the National Development Strategy (NDS).

Delivering the keynote address last Friday at the opening session of the PNC/R’s 14th Biennial Congress being held under the theme `Building a Platform For Peace National Cohesion and Reconstruction’ Corbin commended the work by those who were involved in putting together the NDS.

He acknowledged that the 189 persons who were involved in drafting the document transcended political, ethnic and religious and cultural barriers. He urged Guyanese to get a copy of the document and study it because it is a useful tool in putting together a developmental model for the economic and social transformation of the Guyanese society.

Conceding that the task of achieving consensus on a development plan would be challenging and difficult, he proposed that the NDS form the base from which the process can begin.

The NDS was developed with the aid of the Carter Center but faded into the background because of political differences between the major political parties.

However, it returned to the limelight when ex-US President Jimmy Carter visited Guyana recently and advised that its major provisions be implemented.

On the issue of national cohesion, Corbin urged that both the PNC/R and the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) put their pasts behind them as one of the first steps in bringing cohesion in the society, noting that both parties made mistakes in the past.

Concentrating on the faults would only “open old wounds” Corbin contended, adding that if there are still people who feel aggrieved, a Truth and Reconciliation Commission, similar to the one in South Africa, should be established.

Corbin was forthright too in condemning race-based violence aimed at Indo-Guyanese, calling on party members and all Guyanese to once again become their “brother’s keepers.”

The PNC/R Congress concludes today with a rally at the Square of the Revolution. (Chamanlall Naipaul)

Power sharing at Cabinet a recipe for disaster
- President Jagdeo during Carter meeting
(GINA) - The main Opposition Party has not honoured commitments relating to inclusive governance as stated in the reformed Constitution and it is for this reason that the Administration opposes power-sharing at the level of the Cabinet.

This is according to President Bharrat Jagdeo, who for the first time on Friday, spoke on the meetings he had with former US President Jimmy Carter during the latter’s August visit to Guyana. The President was speaking during a television interview at the National Communications Network (TV) studio.

The Constitution was reformed in 1998 following national consultations. Among the major reforms, were reducing the powers of the President; an Opposition veto on the appointment of the Chancellor and Chief Justice; expanding the functions of the Judicial Service Commission and human rights by the creation of Constitutional Commissions; and modifying the electoral systems for National and Local Government Elections;

"Even before the ink had dried on these Constitutional changes aimed at sharing power at the level of the legislature and getting the Opposition more involved in decision-making in running the country, they (PNC) had already moved on. They are not interested in implementing this anymore. They want to move now to executive power-sharing, that is, sitting in the Cabinet. I have said to Carter that is a recipe for disaster, because the same gridlock that we have in implementing these Constitutional changes, if taken into the Cabinet, could spell disaster for this country because nothing will happen," President Jagdeo said.

The President noted that Government has "significantly shared power with the Opposition."

According to President Jagdeo, the former US President asked him whether or not Government is prepared to have another reformation of the Constitution to cater for a change in the electoral systems for the National and Regional Elections before 2006.

We are not going to be tampering at every election with the electoral system to suit the PNCR because I think that they are only going to be satisfied when we develop a system that will get the PPP/C out of Office. I said to President Carter, you wouldn't agree to it in the US and the PPP/C will not agree to that. No where in this Region has there been that advancement in terms of Constitutional changes

In the 1960's, Guyana had a Constituency System, which was changed by the British rule in collusion with the US.

"We had to live with that system from the 1960's to 1992, PNC never made any attempt to change the system," he said.

The President noted that the reformed Constitution provides for a system of Proportional Representation, with elements of 'geographical representativeness.'

He noted that the PNCR's absence from Parliament is stymieing the implementation of provisions for inclusive governance that already exists in Guyana.

The Head of State highlighted the PPP/C Paper on Inclusive Governance which was presented in February 2003 and illustrates an approach to inclusive governance with political parties and civil society.

"We feel that the PNC has a very important role to play. We said let's work on a period of building trust; let us have more engagement at the level of the parties, the Parliament and the Local Government and at the Executive through the appointment of Shadow Ministers. If we build trust at that level and people learn to work with each other, maybe at some point in time we could go back to the electorate or our support base, to say we have put in place a power-sharing agreement at the level of the legislature and we have seen it work…let us experiment a bit more," he said, adding that at present there is no basis for Executive power-sharing.

Despite the twists sections of society have placed on the Carter Center's position on executive power-sharing, President Jagdeo said the Center has not endorsed the idea.

In his discussions with Mr. Carter, the President said the issue of engagement with the Opposition Leader Robert Corbin arose and his position is that the "door will always be open for discussions with the PNCR."

However, the President said that he is not prepared to revert to the same format of dialogue, as in the past, where a series of agreements are reached and then held up.

"I said to President Carter I am prepared to meet Mr. Corbin providing that the meeting is for us to discuss how we will shift all the discussions we have had before over to Parliament," he said.

The President said that Government has made enough steps to demonstrate its goodwill to the PNCR and hence, it is unnecessary for the PNCR to be 'testing Government's goodwill' following the agreements reached during Carter's visit.

He said that both Government and the PNCR have agreed to name a representative each for future engagements and while Government has named the Head of the Presidential Secretariat Dr. Roger Luncheon, the PNCR has failed to do the same.

President Jagdeo said regardless of the 'spins' placed on the Carter visit, the Government is focused on a letter Mr. Carter himself wrote to President Jagdeo. This document indicates that dialogue will resume on specific issues that agreements were already reached on.

Sunday, August 29, 2004