Dear Editor,
My good friend Ruel Johnson in his biting commentary titled ‘The AFC needs to provide clear answers on why it allowed the Sports and Arts Fund allocation to go through’ (SN, April 22) is to be commended for publicly making his statement. It is an exercise of true citizenship which I would like to see more of from our scrutinising minds. It is what will urge on the forward movement of our democracy.
People must keep leaders on their toes. And leaders in response must, as best as possible, offer honest and legitimate explanations as to why they did what they did.
Preliminarily, I want to say that not because the AFC gave notice of cuts to the Estimates it necessarily followed that these cuts were going to be prosecuted. As we indicated since last year, we will give the portfolio Minister an opportunity to offer explanations, give answers and rationalise his Estimates. If at the end of this exercise the AFC parliamentarians are not satisfied, then the indication will be given to the Speaker that the cut will be prosecuted as proposed in the Motion to Amend the Estimates. This is always an agonizing and unpleasant moment in our lives as MPs. Sometimes we have disagreements among our seven, and this generally results in a decision to allow that specific Estimate to go through.
As regards the proposed cut to the Sport, Culture and Arts Fund, we utilized and remained consistent with this guiding procedure. We asked Minister Anthony certain questions, got answers and were promised further information which we got the next afternoon. From the answers given to our members’ questions as well as those of APNU, the AFC parliamentarians were unanimously of the opinion that we should not prosecute our motion to cut. APNU felt differently and so it was put to the vote. We abstained knowing full well that it will mean the approval of that Estimate. In the same breath we could have voted yes if we wanted. We decided to abstain.
Because of limitations of time and background information in the hands of AFC members at the time of the questioning of the Minister, it is true that everything could not be asked of nor be procured from the Minister. But rest assured that our constituents, like a Ruel Johnson, can furnish us with additional information which can be the basis for additional questions to the Minister at any later stage.
Suffice to say that it will always be a subjective call that will have to be made. Our call was to abstain and effectively allow an approval. I only urge that this right of ours and its exercise will be understood and respected. Just as I would have respected the call made by a Ruel Johnson, had he been the parliamentarian, to cut! And just as I understand and respect the APNU members voting as they did!
A review of my notes on this item ‒ as the issues were raised by AFC and APNU members, and from the responses given by the Minister – vindicate, in my opinion, that the decision taken by the AFC not to cut was a reasonable one in the circumstances. This must not be taken to mean that any other decision taken by others was unreasonable.
My notes before me, and a recollection now that my memory is engaged on this matter, informs me as follows:
1. Re Carifesta X and auditing of accounts of this event, the ministry, he said, had supplied to the Auditor General the statements for the audit. Questions on the audit should be directed to the Auditor General.
2. On Carifesta XI, a National Committee is working on Guyana’s participation in Suriname. Information can be obtained from Dr James Rose, the Chairman of the Committee.
3. On the vexing question of the Caribbean Press and publication of the Guyanese classics, the Minister gave me the full list the next day as was requested, which included the following publications: Ashley Anthony – The Mysterious Association and Virtu Gems, Churaumanie Bissundyal – The Dumb and the Brave; Trevor Burnard – Hearing Slaves Speak; A J McR Cameron (Anna Benjamin) – The Berbice Uprising, 1763; Cedric Castello – Rasta Lyrics; David Dabydeen – The Intended; Lynette Dolphin,ed – One Hundred Folk Songs of Guyana; Fred D’Aguiar – Mama Dot; Maggie Harris – Selected Poems; Odeen Ishmael – The Guyana Story Vol. 1: From the Earliest Inhabitants to British Colonisation; Odeen Ishmael – The Guyana Story Vol. 2: From the Workers’ Struggle to the Quest for Independence; Ian McDonald – Mercy Ward, A Cloud of Witnesses, and A Love of Poetry; Mark McWatt- Interiors; Noel Menezes – The Portuguese of Guyana and British Policy towards British Guiana; Paloma Mohamed – Duenne; Elly Niland- Selected Poems; Petamber Persaud, ed – Guyanese Short Stories and Anthology of Guyanese Contemporary Verse; Sasenarine Persaud – Unclosed Entrances. Quite frankly, I was most impressed with this list.
4. On the issues surrounding the Guyana Prize for Literature, the Minister stated that the Guyana Prize for Literature requested $24.6M, inclusive of Guyana Prize Awards – $12,545,790; Guyana Prize Caribbean Award – $7,413,380 and Developmental Workshops training for Local Writers – $4,710,000. Developmental Workshops training for Local Writers were held by Pauline Melville on 29th November, 2012, by Janice Lowe Shinebourne on 18th to 20th February, 2013, by Ruel Johnson on the 27th and 29th January, 2013 and others are scheduled for later 2013.
5. Re question of the legality of the Fund, his response was the Fund is correctly in the Estimates under the component dealing with Local Organization. Local Organization is classified in two groups, firstly, Government either under a statute or under a Cabinet instruction; and secondly, a duly recognized and/or incorporated Private Organization.
6. Re question of what the fund was used for in 2012, he said the Interim Management Committee (Cricket) – $19.5 M; Professional Sports Services (Cuban Coaches) – $20.2M; Visual Arts Competition and Exhibition – $13.12M; Hosting of E R Braithwaite – $1.3M; 1823 Monument Site Development –$28.31M; Guyana Prize for Literature – $17. 25M.
7. On the question of where the Fund’s $100M would be going towards in 2013, he proposed as follows: Additional Cuban Coaches – $13.35M; Visual Arts Competition
– $20.12 M; 1763 Berbice Revolt 250th Anniversary –$ 20M; continuation of publication of Guyana Classics – $16.25M; Film – $ 9.25; Inter Guiana Cultural Festival – $8.0M; Carifesta XI – $13M.
The murmur I got from AFC parliamentarian Ramaya sitting behind me was: “Ram, we can’t cut anything deh!” There was a nod in agreement by the rest. And so it was approved.
Yours faithfully,
Khemraj Ramjattan
AFC Member of Parliament
