The AFC has condemned attacks on the character of former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran, saying that such actions are likely to deter professionals from thinking about offering their services to Guyana.
“The AFC condemns [in] no uncertain terms the character assassination that has been leveled at independent Guyanese who have not been politically-affiliated… we believe this sort of attack is likely to deter professionals who are prepared to contribute to national development from coming forward,” Chairman of the party Nigel Hughes said yesterday.
Goolsarran has come in for a series of personal attacks in sections of the state media for his stance on a number of issues.
Hughes opined that when professionals are deterred because of the attacks and they do not wish to serve, it is to the detriment of the country.
“The problem with that of course is the country is poorer because the better and brighter members of society, who would have wanted to make their services available to the country, are going to be deterred.
We believe that there is such a paucity of human resources in the country,” he said.
Following the attacks on him, Goolsarran wrote to the AFC asking that it consider replacing him as the party’s nominee for the yet-to-be established Public Procure-ment Commission.
He cited reasons such as government ridicule and vicious attacks since his name was put up as a nominee some months ago as the reason for his withdrawal.
The AFC had proposed Goolsarran and accountant and attorney Christopher Ram as its nominees for the commission, whose establishment has been delayed for a decade.
“I have been the subject of attacks and ridicule from the present Government, its youth arm and the Govern-ment controlled media. They have associated me with the AFC whereas, as you know, I am not.
My only crime in this regard is that you are my friend and that friendship predates the formation of the AFC,” Goolsarran had said in a letter to AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan.
He had also described the latest Guyana Chronicle article on him as a vicious attack. The article accused Goolsarran of being in league with the PNC in not having audited accounts of the country.
He denied the accusations, while suggesting his exposure of the lack of accountability under the PNC administration might have contributed in no small measure to the electoral victory of the present administration in 1992.
Goolsarran became Auditor General in 1991 and demitted office at the end of 2004.
He said that in doing so he voluntarily gave up 11 years of entitlement, since he could have served until 2015.
