Dear Editor,
“Not one dollop less of patriotism in us of the PPP/C, now sitting in the opposition benches, when compared with you in the government seats,” our Leader of the Opposition (LOP), visibly disturbed, was moved to firmly assert as he wound up the budget debate for the opposition. He must have sensed that the patriotism of us of the PPP/C was being questioned.
But has the other major political party ever taken as quietly as we of the PPP/C, a declared election loss and by such a small margin; a change of government after the last elections and relying on the petition process to challenge the declared results?
We of the PPP/C may be different but we are not a lesser breed of Guyanese; we are no less patriotic, and though a case could be made that in our country’s history so far, we have been called upon and have made the greater sacrifice for people and the nation, and have managed the greater advances in the growth, development and prosperity whenever in office, we would claim no greater patriotism lest such be always expected of us, setting ourselves a higher bar.
For that archaic word, ‘dollop’ to have surfaced in his mind our LOP must have been under great stress and filled with great frustration. And he had all right to be filled with a sense of righteous aggrievement and indignation, for it had already been indicated that the government side would unilaterally break the hallowed convention of the LOP concluding the presentations on the budget, to be followed by the reply from the Minister of Finance. The PPP/C adhered to that convention over its years in office. Leaders of the Opposition, Messrs Hoyte, Corbin, Granger and if I recall correctly, Winston Murray (standing in for Mr Corbin), were all so privileged. But in 2016 with its challenged majority of no more than 5000 votes and its one-seat majority in the National Assembly, the coalition government was flouting convention and was about to have its way.
The walkout led by our LOP was not one of disrespect for our National Assembly nor for the Minister of Finance, not even for the Prime Minster; nor was it failure by us of the PPP/C to come to terms with the fact that we had been declared the losers at the last elections.
The walkout was not a case of cut and run; we sensed no need. We of the PPP/C believe that a growing majority of Guyanese of all races, of all religions, from all regions and of all political persuasions would in their quiet moments be reflecting on our presentations:
- about the earlier complaints from members of the coalition government about the number of contract workers in the public service, but now in office they have further greatly increased the numbers of contract workers and at even higher average pay!
- Now at the beginning of 2016, the average Guyanese is better off than he was in 1992 and working hard to keep ends meeting. The coalition’s proposals on vehicles including trucks and tyres show how less attuned to and caring they are for the average Guyanese man and woman, than we of the PPP/C.
- I sensed a focus in the presentations from the government on monitoring and regulation and keeping citizens in line, with which I cannot protest, but an understanding and sympathy for what is involved in working and earning and learning as we produce the goods and services on which our prosperity is based, seemed to be lacking.
- In opposition, members of the coalition sought to persuade the Guyanese citizens that VAT should be greatly reduced – but now in office VAT is respectable and necessary and studies are still required.
- Mr Freddie Kissoon (in KN of February 17) has pointed out that the coalition in opposition seemed to be against the barriers put up around Parliament, but now with the coalition in government the barriers have been put further out!
It is true that in the real world, governments are not free to do as they would like to. They find themselves hemmed in on many sides. In as much as that is so, overall, we of the PPP/C when in office do better for people and country. As Dr Jagan used to say in the early 1990s, “the cook matters”. Different cooks given the same recipes, the same food items and put in the same kitchen provide meals that are not the same. We of the PPP/C have been the better cooks; we had no need to cut and run.
The walkout was a dramatic protest to catch the attention of fellow Guyanese, a dramatic protest against the coalition government trampling on another parliamentary convention. And trampling for what? To provide the Prime Minister the opportunity to speak without fear of reply? The truly brave and strong and courageous and able do not need to so arrange; and certainly one who has announced his earnest intent to head a team that would pursue some necessary working relationship between the government and the opposition would not start with breaking a convention.
Don’t trifle with the patriotism of us of the PPP/C.
Yours faithfully,
Samuel A A Hinds
Former Prime
Minister and Former
President