New political party seeking to oust Jagdeo and Norton over failed management of oil sector - Kaieteur News (2024)

Jul 05, 2024 News

…says Guyana desperately in need of new leaders to end corruption

By: Davina Bagot

Kaieteur News – The Democratic National Congress (DNC), officially launched in May 2018, is on a mission to oust top political forces in Guyana, to ensure prudent governance of the country and its invaluable natural resources.

Leader of the party, Craig Sylvester is presently scouring for passionate and patriotic citizens, like himself, to challenge the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R) and even the Alliance For Change (AFC) at the upcoming National and Regional Elections, likely to be held in November 2025.

With just over a year remaining to garner support and build the party, Sylvester told Kaieteur News it was important for a new crop of leaders to guide the nation down the path of prosperity.

In this regard, one of DNC’s objectives as a political party and government in waiting is to ensure the lopsided 2016 Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) with U.S. oil giant, ExxonMobil is scrapped.

High on the party’s agenda also is ending corruption in government and “government-sponsored poverty” as well as ensuring higher wages, pensions and investments in new business ideas, among others. See link for party’s vision for Guyana here: https://issuu.com/craigsgy/docs/dnc_brochure_2490e765f55786?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR2RrnKv_OJPsq-Qqsm4NRmgTz41nMupnu3Ydu8vbBUpbIfdOMxW6EIqin4_aem_Ac1U6l9g5gD-goxQWQqi8FPiM0U_zzKtkdtmo7HVMx_GrU0e6GczDDBDKGu5Fme24reS0EUwEFmZXchOXyZqu7Sp#google_vignette

Jagdeo misleading

The Leader of the party during a brief telephone interview with Kaieteur News on Thursday argued that Vice President, Bharrat Jagdeo, who manages the country’s burgeoning petroleum sector, has been misleading the nation through his insistence that the oil deal cannot be renegotiated.

“Jagdeo has been selling us a lot of crap forever and ever and ever and he will continue telling us a lot of crap forever and ever. Jagdeo and the PSA has made Guyana the eye-pass of the world where companies are concerned because as I said there is no other country in the world, no other government in the world that would issue a contract to a company where that company doesn’t have to pay any income taxes,” Sylvester contended.

He explained that while the VP insists that investors can be deterred if Guyana requests the companies to return to the bargaining table, this was merely an excuse. Instead, the DNC Leader believes, “We are the only economy, the only government that actually did that (waived all tax payments) and so for Jagdeo to turn around and tell us investor confidence is going to be shaken, nothing can shake investors’ confidence with the amount of oil we have right now- nothing!”

Shifting his attention to the lack of ring-fencing, the party leader said, “They are moving the profits from all of these wells and pumping it into new projects…so don’t worry too much about what Jagdeo saying. As I said Jagdeo eyes pass Guyanese people and his eyes will continue to pass Guyanese people until we get rid of him.”

When asked if he does not believe foreign investors should be granted incentives to attract investments in the country, Sylvester explained that while tax holidays are normal, Exxon has been allowed to have an unlimited tax holiday in the Stabroek Block deal.

He reasoned, “The tax holiday is really just to encourage investors…we don’t have to give them any incentive other than all of this oil that we have out there. A lot of foreign investors are actually running into Guyana because they see Guyana as the next best thing where investment is concerned.”

He argued that anyone who understood the value of the resources discovered offshore would agree that it is “utter nonsense” for the company to be exempt from paying taxes to the country.

The DNC Leader also believes that the country could be raking in billions more annually but the politicians have not only allowed Exxon not to pay taxes, but refuse to ring-fence the Stabroek Block projects.

Presently, the leader of the party is seeking the support of Guyanese to join the group. The DNC is set to host its first General Meeting of 2024 to discuss opportunities and prospects to strengthen the Party as it prepares to win the upcoming elections. The General Meeting is to be hosted at the National Library Conference Room, on August 8, 2024, at 13:00hrs.

Doors closed to partnership with PPP/C, PNC/R and AFC

When asked if his vision for the country aligns with any of the popular political parties today and whether he is open to partnering with any of them, Sylvester said his doors are closed to the Alliance For Change (AFC) and the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R).

“Nigel Hughes has made the AFC an irrelevant party in Guyana with his conflict of interest…the PNC, they have a big black mark on them, they are out because they are complete liars and did a lot of stupidness with that agreement and this chap (Norton) is unwilling to make declarations where Exxon is concerned and the PNC and the PPP are the same.”

As such, he said he is open to partnerships with smaller political parties.

In an advertisem*nt that appeared in this newspaper’s Thursday edition, the DNC urged citizens, “Your future, your children’s future, your money is on the line! If we don’t get this right now, we condemn ourselves to watching the PPP and PNC give our money to Exxon and company, and suffering under economic mismanagement and discrimination we have endured since independence! It’s a long road to November 2025, but it’s a road we can travel together. As we did in 2015, let’s unite and tell Jagdeo and the PPP (to) stand down!”

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• corruption, Norton, oil, oust, party