…refutes claims that election promises were made to Haitians, African nationals

DEPUTY Director of the State Assets Recovery Agency (SARA) Aubrey Heath-Retemeyer is calling on the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) to sanction MTV Channel 65 over a malicious report which suggested that he and the Minister of Citizenship Winston Felix were colluding with Haitians to commit electoral fraud.

On Wednesday, Heath-Retemeyer refuted the claims levelled against him and called on the ERC to investigate and sanction the television station that is closely affiliated to the opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP). The SARA deputy director explained that he and Minister Felix met with African and Haitian migrants on August 29, 2019 at the Critchlow Labour College. “The nationals had many questions with regards to the status of their applications and needed clarification,” he noted. The African and Haitian nationals had applied for citizenship and work permits, but had some concerns.

According to him, “MTV Channel 65 without interviewing anyone subsequently aired on its newscast a mischievous and grossly inaccurate representation of that meeting and also a video posted on YouTube entitled the “PNC plans got busted” by an MTV news reporter.”
The report suggested that the SARA deputy director and the Minister of Citizenship promised the Haitians and Africans that they would be given citizenship and work permits and in case of those studying, their tuition fees, in exchange for votes; Heath-Retemeyer, however, said this is far from the truth.

“Let me be pellucidly clear: no promise was made to anyone for votes or any other purpose. It was simply a question-and-answer session,” he said.

He said the ERC cannot and should not turn a blind eye to this very serious infraction. “I call on the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) to investigate and sanction those who persist in the unsubstantiated allegations and unwarranted alarms against African and Haitian nationals in Guyana. These attacks by known PPP media news media outlets and against African nationals in Guyana are obnoxious and racist, and should be condemned by all,” the SARA deputy director said. He is of the opinion that Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo and his PPP supporters are using the media as a means of race-baiting with the intention of causing racial division in this society.

Noting that the news report from Channel 65 was libellous, Heath-Retemeyer said it would appear that the television station is on a mission to tarnish his good character and reputation. In recent months, Haitians in Guyana have come under attack by the opposition and some local media houses; the SARA deputy director said all and sundry must be reminded that Haiti is one of the 15 full member states of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM), of which Guyana is a founding member.

“Historically, Haiti has played one of the most important roles for emancipation in the western hemisphere, being second to the United States to free itself from colonial rule. Haitians are entitled to work permits under the tenets of the Caribbean Single Market and Economy,” he pointed out.

The SARA director questioned the reason behind fuelling xenophobic attacks against Africans, whether be it Africans from the continent of Africa or Africans from Haiti, when favourable reports are made with respect to other nationalities. In support of his view, Heath-Retemeyer alluded to a February 26, 2019 INews article which stated: “ With 5,123 documented Venezuelan migrants in Guyana, efforts are being made to roll out a programme to help them become self-sufficient, the National Multi-Sectoral Coordinating Committee noted in a statement.”

Guyana, he further noted, has extended the right hand of brotherhood to Venezuelans in Region One with support from the Australian Government and the International Organization of Migration (IOM). Heath-Retemeyer said if such help can be given to Venezuelans, the same can be done for Haitian and African nationals.

He pointed out that in 2018 it was reported that 298 foreigners acquired citizenship in Guyana, while 979 foreigners were granted an extension of stay and work permits.
“These 979 foreigners included 225 Cubans, 175 Chinese, 165 Americans, 120 Indians, 70 Philippinos, 75 Venezuelans, 59 British, 45 from The Dominican Republic, 30 from Trinidad and Tobago and 15 Surinamese,” he further pointed out, while noting that there were no attacks by the PPP or news entities that are closely aligned with the party.

“It is obvious that Guyana is a destination choice for those near and far and as of December 31, 2018, Guyana recorded a total of 286,732 visitors, which is a 15.93 per cent increase from the 247,330 visitors Guyana welcomed in 2017. With thousands of visitors that we have had in this country and the hundreds that sought citizenship, none has been treated more unfairly as the African and Haitian nationals by the PPP and their media outlets,” he said.

This xenophobic, hostile, unparalleled singling out of African nationals and Haitians must be condemned by all Guyanese, the SARA deputy director said. “I vehemently condemn the xenophobic and racist attacks against the African and Haitian nationals and the malicious attempt to stain my character as this is a poor attempt to remove public attention from the corrupt practices of the PPP in Region (9) where persons have been caught with fraudulent birth certificates,” he said.