PRESS BRIEFING
Wednesday, March 26, 2003

1. CONSERVANCY DAM

The state of the Conservancy Dam continues to attract Government’s attention. Allied with that, are the concerns about the low levels of water in the Conservancy and the actions of the main water users.
At present, an aggregate length of 2000 feet of dam has slipped in a number of areas in the Shanks to Annandale areas. NDIB has started emergency works and the contractors are on site doing remedial works.
NDIB projections are that the rehabilitation effort will be concluded before the rains but has taken steps to recruit additional contractors to ensure a greater margin of safety.

2. JAGDEO/CORBIN TALKS

The Office of the President in its efforts to clear the air on the issue has the following observations:
The commitment of both parties to meet goes without saying. The controversy swirls around the modalities.
The Office of the President has always acted in a balanced way and has every reason to insist that the fact bear this out. He has not sought to delay the process. He has not sought to put pressure on the PNC/R counterparts.
He has sought to contribute to an agenda that address mutual concerns and national perimeters.
The Office of the President remains optimistic about the possibilities of a meeting within the shortest possible time frame and would continue to advance the process with that aim in mind.

3. GOG/AC POWER TALKS

The two shareholders are continuing their efforts to address the critical situation affecting GPL, its inability to finance its operations.
The two sides held high level meetings earlier this week and has planned subsequently to meet and continue the examination of the options. The GOG has committed itself to ensure the survival of the firm and its reliable supply of power to consumers.
The GOG/AC Power representatives have made considerable progress in addressing mutual concerns and an agreement is still possible.
The Office of the President is assuring Guyanese that the Government is doing all that is possible to recover the situation.

4. TEACHERS STRIKE

The Office of the President views with increasing concerns the worsening industrial situation in the Education Sector.
The Office of the President sees the withdrawal of services as an extreme sanction by its employees and cannot explain the basis for GTU’s action.
Teachers as a group received the highest increases in 2002, the same occurred in 2001. The Office of the President is aware that none of the other claims offered by the Union can withstand full public scrutiny as causes for a strike.
How can the Union leadership explain unilaterally and spiteful abandonment of its agreement with the Ministry of Education to co-manage amateur sports in Guyana and particularly the way it was done, to frustrate our young athletes warrants a detailed explanation from the leadership.
The Ministry of Education has caution its effort to restore industrial normalcy in the collective bargaining unit.
The Ministry of Labour has invited the two Parties, in accordance with its statutory provisions, to submit a detailed process that can lead to the resolution of the issue.
The Office of the President has instructed the Ministry of Education to prepare to implement its contingency plan to provide instructions to our aspiring SSEE children now finalising preparations for examinations in 2003.
The Office of the President is calling on the Union and teachers to stop these efforts at adventurism and work with the Administration to restore the good relationship that has traditionally prevailed.
The situation is not irretrievable, common sense can prevail and the advice of the reckless and self-interested can be avoided and ignored.

5. CRIME SITUATION

The concerns of the Administration remain the atrocities continue cold-blooded executions of innocent Guyanese trauma to individual families and communities.
The Office of the President notes the involvement of the international community and multilateral agency in the public response to the outrages.
The Office of the President noted also, the Guyana Police Force completion of its report of the Yohance Douglas’ tragic matter and recognises the presented course of the law.
The call for a public signing in the context of the Police report and its sub-sequential handling seems to conflict the presence of the British Security team and the IDB consultants for Citizens Security project provided both examples of GOG resort to external support and the positive response by bilateral and multilateral donors.