…Lincoln Lewis deems PPP talk of reopening estates empty promises
…says party sees sugar estates and adjoining communities as voting farms

VETERAN Trade Unionist, Lincoln Lewis has said that the utterances by Presidential Candidate for the PPP, Irfaan Ali that he would reopen sugar estates should not be trusted and he flayed the opposition for floundering opportunities during its time in office to reform the industry.

At the launch of the party’s manifesto last Friday Ali reiterated the PPP’s promise that they will reopen shuttered estates of the Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuco), even as the party and its presidential candidate continue to dodge specifics on how they plan to go about that without pumping losses into the industry.

“These promises in very many cases bear no semblance to reality. For the PPP now in their manifesto to say they would reopen the sugar estates, I would like to know on what information basis they are going to do that,” Joseph Harmon, APNU General Secretary asked last week during a PNCR news conference.

“This blank statement that we will reopen sugar estates, when you examine it, when you go into the details you will see how fake this promise is. And it is not something that any right thinking Guyanese can take on face value.” Tearing into the issue further, Harmon questioned how the PPP could revive the industry given their stellar record of mismanagement, decline and unaccountability in the industry across the 23 years they oversaw it. “We need to go back a little bit so that we understand where we are with this PPP promise about reopening sugar estates. For the tenth parliament for almost every single budget the PPP promised to turn around GuySuco. There were so many turn around plans in the National Assembly that we were getting eye-turn. Every year, so many billions for a turn around, so many billions for a turn around,” he said.

Incapable of salvaging industry
Weighing in on the issue in his Sunday column which appeared in the Kaieteur News Lewis said Ali sought to assure society the PPP has grand plans for the sugar industry when it was during the PPP administration that sugar’s fortune changed drastically, and it proved incapable of salvaging the industry. Lewis said presented with the opportunity to diversify and retool with financial support offered from the European Union, that government blew it. “The nation witnessed a scatter-shot approach in decision-making. US$200-plus million was wasted in building the Skeldon Sugar Factory which became a white elephant. It is sad to see this factory standing idle and rotting, because it represents the single largest debt incurred by government. All of these millions have gone for naught and the taxpayers are saddled with the burden of repaying the loan,” Lewis who is also General Secretary of the Guyana Trades Union Congress said.

Ali was part of it
According to Lewis, in its restructuring plan the PPP had closed sugar estates and workers were sent home. “How can we not be shocked by Ali’s announcement that a PPP government will reopen the estates? This gentleman sat in the Cabinet that took the decision to close estates. He was part of the administration that floundered around in managing the industry. Why must workers/citizens believe that he has found a resurrection plan, and having before closed estates, will now reopen them? He has to know he better come good, because the tomfoolery is not accepted.”

Buttressing the empty promises, Lewis said is the recent call on the Government by the Leader of the Opposition to find money to pay sugar workers. “In principle I am not opposed to workers receiving better wages and improve conditions of work, for as a trade unionist this is what I’m committed to. The management of GuySuCo must return to the negotiation table with the sugar unions and engage in Collective Bargaining. The law must trump egos or bruised feelings.”

That notwithstanding, Lewis said the Opposition is seeking to pull wool over people’s eyes. “Given [the PPP’s] track record in sugar, the utterances of Ali cannot be trusted nor should we believe that Jagdeo is interested in sugar workers being paid any increase. He has made a political calculation and is gambling on GuySuCo’s action angering the workers to the point where it creates alienation and resentment. To him the sugar estates and adjoining communities are viewed as voting farms, to reap of their bounty not to ensure their sustenance.”

“And here’s why I say this. This nation can attest to instances where Government and Opposition have had engagements where either side construe its constituents are adversely affected and the nation’s stability threatened. Some of these are:- the Forbes

Burnham/Cheddi Jagan commitment that realised recognition of GAWU and employment in the public sector for recipients of PPP scholarship; Desmond Hoyte/Cheddi Jagan electoral reform; Janet Jagan/Desmond Hoyte constitutional reform; Bharrat Jagdeo/Desmond Hoyte Agreement; and Jagdeo/Robert Corbin communiqué. The latter two were never honoured by Mr. Jagdeo.”

Lewis said nothing prevents him, were he serious about the welfare of sugar workers, from laying before President Granger issues of concern and hammering out an agreement. “He could have done what his predecessors (Opposition Leaders) did, and whereas during his presidency he failed to honour any commitment, there are positive precedents to rely on. People’s suffering/concern should not present political currency to exploit for self-interest.”

Carrying his leader’s bitter chalice
According to Lewis unfortunately, Ali as a relatively young leader is quite comfortable with the status quo of the opposition. “By carrying his leader’s bitter chalice, he has allowed himself to be wholly restrained, acting only on command. He has passed over the opportunity to say to the leader, who desires total compliance, that he refuses to be chained to a politics of destruction and vindictiveness. He could have asserted himself by making known such conduct carry dire consequences for society, and moreso his generation,” he said.

Lewis said approximately two-third of this nation’s population is 40 years and younger. He said a Member of Parliament, Ali earns a salary of not less than of $264,500 per month. For the last 11 months, taxpayers paid him a princely sum of approximately three million dollars to go to work, on their behalf, in the Parliament. He has accepted monthly salary and benefits for not working. “It must not escape attention or accountability, for it is not for the want of forces in society calling on our politicians to do something about the petroleum sector and sugar, yet the opposition continues to demonstrate it cares not for the people and its constitutional duty,” he said.