Pride News Canada's Leader In African Canadian & Caribbean News, Views & Lifestyle
GEORGETOWN, Guyana, Apr. 11, (CMC) – The minority partner in the Guyana government alliance says, while it reiterates its commitment to the David Granger administration, it wants to underscore that “the principles of good governance, transparency and equal opportunity are fundamental to the success of the coalition”.
The Alliance for Change (AFC), which together with A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) forms the government, said that it held a leadership retreat, over the weekend, “as part of an ongoing effort to review the party’s performance and to discuss a number of issues of concern to the party”.
It said, principally the AFC reviewed and considered internal matters with regard to the party’s operations and structure, along with its role as part of the coalition government.
The AFC said that among the matters discussed at the retreat was the issue of the appointment of a Ministerial Advisor on Business Development by the Minister of State, Joseph Harmond, and other revelations in the public domain.
Last month, President Granger announced the dismissal of contractor/businessman, Brian ‘BK’ Tiwari, as a ministerial adviser, after apparently being unaware of his appointment in the first place.
The AFC said that it is of the opinion that the current difficulties which the government has encountered in the continuing revelations arising out of the appointment of the advisor and the issues surrounding this appointment, “have their roots in the concentration of the powers of the office of the Cabinet Secretary, the Minister of State in the Ministry of the Presidency and the effective Head of Presidential Secretariat in a single person.
“The responsibilities of each of the above portfolios are substantial and of critical importance to the smooth operations of the Government and would benefit from separate appointments. The Alliance for Change has mandated its leadership in Cabinet to have these issues raised and addressed as a matter of national importance.”
The AFC said it is committed to responsible and transparent governance and looks forward to the conclusion of the Code of Conduct for government officials and the application of same.
The party said also, that the report of the Commission of Inquiry into the death of Walter Rodney should be released to his family and the party supports its early release to the public.
Rodney, the leader of the Working People’s Alliance (WPA), a member of the coalition, was killed on June 13, 1980 by a bomb while he sat in a vehicle.
The former People’s Progressive Party (PPP) government appointed the Commission to probe Rodney’s killing that occurred during the reign of the People’s National Congress (PNC), the major partner in the APNU.
“The AFC is of the view that the report affords the country an opportunity to address a difficult period of its history and hopes that it forms the basis for national healing and reconciliation,” the party said in the statement.
