– people are suspicious of what’s going on – Teixeira

EXECUTIVE Member of the People’s Progressive Party-Civic and Opposition Chief Whip, Ms. Gail Teixeira has signaled the Party’s deep concern about the Clean-Up Campaign of Georgetown and Durban Park, noting that the exercise appeared to be shrouded in secrecy.

Addressing members of the media at a Press Conference at Freedom House on Wednesday, Ms. Teixeira said that this issue was raised in the Budget Debate but yet there was no disclosure, she says.
“During the Budget Debate we were told that no money was coming from the government coffers. However, Durban Park continues and we understand that Phase II, which I assume is leading up to May 26, would come from taxpayers’ money.”
She said: “How much; who the contracts are being awarded to; how the contracts are being awarded; what is the design of Durban Park; what are we actually building or what are we looking at – no one knows, since there is no disclosure. “So no disclosure, no transparency… and people are highly suspicious about what’s going on.” she emphasized.
Teixeira recalled that despite Parliamentary Press Briefings, and constant calls, since last November to say what’s going on with Georgetown clean-up, nothing has been forthcoming.
“But we are well aware of which contractors are being given jobs without tendering and in fact we also know that prisoners have been brought out to do work on the Durban Park.
The PPP would like to know how the contractors are being paid and what are the prison rates. She contended that where there is lack of transparency there is ultimately much speculation about what is happening on the ground.
And on the question of increased taxes, the Central Executive Member quoted Mr. Bulkan, during the Debate, as saying that there would be an increase in property taxes in Georgetown. He was at the time referring to the need to have a new evaluation of properties in Georgetown.
“But the question Mr. Bulkan needs to ask, she contended, is: ‘Are there going to be increases in property taxes in Georgetown when right now Georgetown has the highest property tax for the entire country?’”
And on the issue of political and ethnic discrimination and the targeting of people, Ms. Teixeira alluded to Kwame Mc Koy and Jason Abdulla who have to report every day to the Police at Eve Leary just to keep them in check. Just to intimidate them, she opined, adamant that the rationale was totally absurd and unacceptable.
Meanwhile, touching on dismissals and firings without recourse to people defending themselves was a problem which continues unabated” she said, and alluded to Mr. Badri Persaud as one such example. She lamented that invariably people do not have the recourse to defend themselves or even to reply.
Ms. Teixeira argued strongly that persons removed from jobs, boards or appointed positions should be given the opportunity to write a reply and to defend themselves, noting that such is enshrined in a number of pieces of legislation in Guyana and is based on our constitutional provisions.

Rodney Commission of Inquiry
Noting that there continued to be demands that the Commission of Inquiry on Walter Rodney be made public, Teixeira stressed, “It must be made public!”
She considers it unbelievable that not even out of courtesy and respect that the widow of Dr. Rodney was issued with a copy of the report (as of one day ago). “Even though government has been responding to the report, it has not been made public,” she affirmed.
“They have not been able to put on a website so that people can read it … and at this point there is no indication that it will be laid in the house,” Teixeira concluded.