Dear Editor,
Thanks mainly to certain media houses and to a lesser extent the letter writers in these printed media, I cannot enjoy news without being disgusted by the comparison between the PNC and the PPP/C governments.
The PNC demitted office when I had just left primary school. Then, I recalled hearing many things about the bright future that the PPP had in store for us Guyanese. Additionally, I was constantly reminded of how ‘bad’ the previous administration was. The PPP started to impress and took every opportunity to highlight the many new and different things done under their watch. I understood their excitement and bid to score political points and I thought that this comparison was short term. It was never the case.
Since 1992, the world has seen many changes, particularly advancement in technology, human rights and globalization. Guyana, under the care of the PPP/C alone would have cooperated with other countries and international organizations and signed on to numerous such agreements and treaties, whether motivated by desire for the good of the citizen, or by the monetary support for ‘the country’, or by the fear of sanctions.
Subsequently, and coupled with certain deliberate political acts, Guyana has changed: the infrastructure, landscape, economics, privatization, education, etc. If we take the modus operandi of Guyana in 1991 and in 2013, interchange them and then superimpose them on the Guyana then and now, we will get a gross misfit. Why? It is the changing trends.
The above discussions show clearly that such a shift is hardly dependent on the government of the day. Guyana is not a Saudi Arabia in terms of harnessed wealth and hence we are forced to adapt to these international agencies and policies so as to maintain a steady flow of resources. Moreover we are forced to show that we use the inward flowing resources as is evident across Guyana.
So whether it is APNU, AFC, or PPP/C, they all have to flow with the tide of the world and closer, Guyana. The PNC, for example, given another chance at government, cannot operate in the manner they did 21 years ago. Additionally, I am certain that there is at least one in the PPP/C who can look back at their first 5-10 years of rule and identify not just their folly but how much they themselves have adjusted that in light of the changes in the world and Guyana.
I might understand if a comparison is made between the PPP/C’s governments, eg, under Jagdeo v Ramotar, or the Guyana government under Hoyte v Jagan, but please not Hoyte/Burnham v Jagdeo/Ramotar. What’s next, how far will we go − the Queen v the future president?
My suggestion to all who wish to engage in meaningful comparisons is to investigate the technical abilities of the current political figures of our country. This will do us good.
While it is beneficial to compare and contrast the current parties it is unreasonable and misleading to do the same for the governments 20+ years apart. Some may delight in such comparisons for the purpose of scoring political points, but know that this is a direct insult to the intelligence of the country.
Yours faithfully,
Dwayne Renville
