Trevor Benn unveils slate to contest Public Service Credit Union’s elections; plans afoot to ban several incumbents from holding office again

Last Updated on Wednesday, 12 October 2022, 21:49 by Denis Chabrol

The Trevor Benn-led faction of the Guyana Public Service Cooperative Credit Union (GPSCCU) on Wednesday evening unveiled a 12-member slate of candidates for election to the board later this month and recommend that incumbent office holders are banned from holding office again.

Mr Benn, who had been ousted several months ago by other board members from the post of Chairman over dissatisfaction with the way he he had been running the affairs of that financial institution, was Wednesday evening credited for several successes by several persons. They included improving the physical condition of the credit union’s headquarters on Hadfield Street, Newburg, Georgetown; increased lending for studies, vehicle purchases and mortgages, and the payment of dividends. “When you look at the developmental works in the (Hadfield Street) Avenue, when you look at the products that were introduced, we can’t ask for better; we cannot ask for more and hear: the best is  yet come,” Eslyn Harris said.

While making it clear at the inception that “we are not holding any brief for Mr Trevor Benn but we are prepared to call it out for what it is”, as the meeting neared conclusion he addressed the gathering and he identified the 11 other persons as candidates for the Special General Meeting of Members scheduled October 24 at 8 AM at the New Central High School, Princes Street, Georgetown.

Those named on Mr Benn’s slate are Ms Harris, Candace Enmore, Beverley De Jonge, Mehalai Mc Almont, Patrick Mentore, Marlon Cole, Dr John Anderson, Vanessa Kissoon, Judah Louisy, Kurt Fraser and Christopher Thompson. “This team- you’ve seen them all over Social Media- they are the warriors for the betterment of the credit union…They have been very, very proactive in demanding and making their voices heard,” he said. He appealed to them to remain united and serve the interest of the members rather than personal interest. “We’re not stopping the progress because we have seen under the stewardship of Comrade Benn that this credit union can do a lot,” said Ms Kissoon.

While the agenda provides for members to “vote for” or recall the GPSCCU’s Committee of Management, it also provides for a recommendation that nine Committee Members not be re-elected to serve on that management. They are Secretary Gillian Pollard, Karen Van Sluytman-Corbin, Ruth Howard, Saskia Eastman-Onwuzirike, Charles Ogle, Kirwyn Mars, Jermaine Hermanstyne, Leslyn Noble and Arthur Gibbs.

That credit union has an estimated 20,000 members across Guyana and possibly about GY$2 billion in the bank up to December 2020.

He urged attendees at the meeting, which was held at the Critchlow Labour College auditorium and streamed on a number of opposition-aligned Social Media pages,  to be vigilant on polling day against irregularities. “We will need some of you to assist us in the regions because we have to watch the votes. We got to watch the ballot boxes…I’m not calling any names but we have to ensure that we are at every polling station and ensure that the ballots are properly counted. The credit union is too important to the public servants, it’s too important to the poor and humble public servants who have no other place to go,” he said.

Voting is expected to be held in person and Online, but he questioned the motive for scheduling the meeting that early on a holiday. However, former public servant Reginald Brotherson flagged the likelihood of concerns being raised about Online voting because the Online mechanism was due to the gazetted national COVID-19 regulation. “The rules of the credit union still provide for a person voting unless it has changed so this is something that we got to guard against so I’m just bringing that out just in case before the 24th (of October) some foolishness happens,” he said.

However, Attorney-at-Law Thompson advised that the High Court’s decision covers Online voting because it states that the petition for the Special Members meeting was valid and implicit in that was the manner of the meeting be held in the same way that the 2021 Annual General Meeting was held. He said Online voting was being employed not only because of COVID but because of the large number of members who are scattered across Guyana. “There is need for us to embrace a more modern way of participatory democracy,” he said. Mr Thompson said the regulation does not contemplate Online voting and is silent on that method. He recommended that that be fixed in the future as a “safeguard.”

The High Court on September 30 ordered the incumbent credit union administration to hold a Special General Meeting of Members by October 24, 2022.