This week we asked members of the public to comment on the motion of no-confidence which is to be moved by the opposition in Parliament against the government. If successful, the government would have to resign and new general elections would have to be held.
Interviews and photos
by Desilon Daniels
Albert Pedro, vendor: `In my opinion, the parliament as it is of right now can’t work. The hung parliament cannot work; it’s better for the country to go to a new national poll. I’m for the no-confidence motion; I support it. The recess period for the parliament is on right now but the government can call an election date; they don’t have to wait for the motion to pass. I think it’s best for the country to go back to the polls. We need national and regional elections in Guyana. Our government as it is right now is not functioning; it’s in limbo and in confusion. We need the chance to decide who is the winner and who is the loser.’
Adrian Wiltshire, unemployed: `I have no confidence in this government because they are not in control of themselves as individuals, and as such cannot lead this country. They showcase their inadequacies daily and instead of trying to improve, they attack anyone who points out their flaws. They do not accept criticism because they “know all”. These pitiful men seem to think themselves gods. If this no confidence motion is passed in parliament it would shake their bubble a little; but I doubt it will happen. Nothing passes in parliament unless the (minority) government assents. Their flagrant disregard for the rights of the Guyanese people as established by the constitution is an issue that needs to be addressed. Where are the international bodies created to address the abuse of citizens by their government? The PPP/C working in collusion with the APNU are leading this country into slavery and I have no confidence in that. Come elections, I will be returning my ballot blank; indicating my belief that no party is worthy for the Governance. If Guyanese people really want change then they should learn their rights and use them. Real government or none at all!’
Leslyn Isaacs, self-employed: `I think it’s about time that we have a new government; see if our society will run better with a new government. I would go and vote if there’s a snap election. I just really want to see development in Guyana. Youths mustn’t be forced to crime because we don’t have enough jobs here.’
Gordon Marshall, businessman: `The motion is a pretty new one because no government before in our history has ever been visited by a no-confidence motion. I think it is a bargaining chip for the president and the opposition; the president needs to have the finance minister accountable. If he does that then I think the opposition will back off. The finance minister has done us wrong and he needs to take responsibility for his actions. If he does, then both parties will end up in a win-win situation and we can enjoy the next three years better. I think the no-confidence motion spun out from the Ashni Singh situation.’
Terry Van De Groot, security guard: `Everybody knows what’s going on in this city but nobody wants to speak up. The government and the opposition have to come together and do something about the country. If we had elections next month, I would vote. We need a change here.’
Raymond Barton, money changer: `Really and truly I think the motion against the present regime is good. We have a parliament where the opposition has the majority and certain bills that are added, it’s clear that the president doesn’t want to assent. We can’t have a parliament where the opposition is the majority, the government is the minority and the government is not complying when bills come. This motion happened because Minister Ashni Singh is going forward with monies that had been cut from the budget. He abused his privileges and, yes, I agree that we had to have the no-confidence motion. The political opposition also needs to look at the constitution because out of that we have these problems.’
Ferdinand Bacchus, councilor, City Hall: `In regards to the no-confidence motion I strongly support it against the government. I think it’s too long the government wants to have its way in everything. Every government should have some times when it has to look at the response of the people and think about how people feel. However, the government sometimes think that because they are in there they can do anything that they feel and I think it’s time that we have an elections so that they will understand how people are feeling and the people’s reactions will tell through the ballot. I would want to think that it would have a similar dispensation of the parliament; I can see the government losing more seats in the next elections. The government has made mistakes; we are spending US$1M more on a Rodney Inquiry and that doesn’t make sense to me. Look at how many people are suffering in Guyana; the hierarchy of Guyana doesn’t know the suffering of the people and they need to know that. We can’t even have a reasonable minimum wage. Especially for the young people, they are the ones that are going to vote and they don’t even know anything about Walter Rodney!’
Arthur James Knight, customer care agent: `I don’t necessarily support the no-confidence motion but I support whatever it may take to enact a positive change in the Guyanese society. The APNU and AFC may not even be the best for the job but the present government has constantly embarrassed themselves and the country. They can’t take criticism, there is no transparency, and they act like a bunch of rich, out of control teenagers. This has extended beyond them and the police are out of control, City Hall looks like a bunch of fools, our university is getting worse and people are getting away with murder. One minister even caused an accident while another ruined a departing ambassador’s party and we can’t forget to mention that this government has gone against the constitution. We have built white elephants and useless things and have forgotten to invest in ourselves properly. If the government can’t change then they shouldn’t be surprised when other people want a change of face. The job in the PPP hands isn’t the best and appears to be getting worse for two decades to the point where people want to see some or just any kind of change in who’s running things. The APNU and AFC have at least made significant changes internally. This is more than just a no-confidence from the opposition; it’s a ‘No Faith’ from the people.’
Keeona McKay, student: `First of all, not a lot of people even know what this no-confidence motion is or the consequences of it being passed. At the end of the day, to many persons it doesn’t matter who is in power; there will always be persons who feel disenfranchised in a country. It’s just a matter of waiting to see what will happen. If and when the motion is passed we’ll see if it has really solved our problems or if we’ll find ourselves in a deeper mess.’
Marlon Fredericks, vendor: `I think it’s a biased option and they need to work together and make it a collective effort instead of a bashing campaign. If they did that, our parliament would have much better results.’
