PPP's track record analysis

The track record to the PPP in recent times is a cause for concern!

While the government cannot be directly blamed for some of the issues facing Guyanese, an obvious political directive in every sphere of life in Guyana plays a role in life's determination. Examples of government involvement can be found in private deals, public deals, foreign investment, policing, judicial judgment and much more.

2011 is expected to be another election year - but we wonder if this and other political parties would be judged by their almost inactivity.

For the ruling PPP the Amnesty Internation Universal Periodic Report does not say much for governance among other critical issues facing Guyanese. Here are the
Recommendations to the government of Guyana:

The death penalty
- To immediately establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty as provided by UN General Assembly resolution 62/149, adopted on 18 December 2007 and resolution 63/168 adopted on 18 December 2008;
- To commute without delay all death sentences to terms of imprisonment;
- To immediately remove all provisions in national law which are in breach of international human rights law, in particular those that provide for mandatory death sentences,
- To ensure rigorous compliance in all death penalty cases with international standards for fair trial are respected.

Human rights, sexual orientation and gender identity
- To repeal all provisions allowing for the criminalization of same sex relations;
- Repeal all provisions, including Chapter 8.02 section 153 (1) (xlvii) of the Summary Jurisdiction (Offences) Act, which are used to discriminate against lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender persons.

Violence against women
- To expedite passage and implementation of the Sexual Offences Bill;
- To ensure the coordinated implementation of the National Domestic Violence Policy.

HIV/AIDS and human rights
- To combat discrimination and stigma surrounding HIV/AIDS and particularly against members of the LGBT community.

Excessive use of force by the security forces and impunity for human rights violations
- To ensure that all complaints of human rights violations by the security forces are subject to immediate, thorough and independent investigation and, if state agents are charged with such crimes, that their cases are brought to trial in an expeditious manner;
- To conduct a fully independent investigation into human rights abuses allegedly committed by a ‘death squad’ between 2002-2006, and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice and that witnesses and their families are offered effective protection in all these investigations;
- To ensure that members of the Guyana Police Force are adequately trained on the appropriate use of force and firearms in accordance with international standards, including the Basic Principles on the Use of Force and Firearms by Law enforcement officials.

Ratification of international human rights instruments
- To ratify the following international treaties: the Second Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (and to remove reservations to its First Optional Protocol); the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; the Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography; and the International
Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance;
- To ratify the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of their Families and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, both of which Guyana has already signed;
- To ratify the American Convention on Human Rights.