Dear Editor,
The APNU+AFC Coalition Government has failed us – much to the dissatisfaction of hundreds in the diaspora who had thrown their support behind the AFC because they were totally fed up with Bharrat Jagdeo and a few of his top aides. The skullduggery was unbearable which prompted a few “diehard” PPP supporters to disassociate themselves and called for a change and as a result they joined forces with the AFC and contributed significantly which no doubt tipped the scale and the PPP/C was removed from office.
Now most of them have regretted what they did because the Coalition did not deliver. As a matter of fact the Granger administration is worse. Months after assuming office they increased their salaries substantially and they immediately started to indulge in wrongdoings — firing competent personnel and replacing them with aged former army officers who are grossly incompetent. It is not a secret that the agreement entered into with the US oil company ExxonMobil is flawed and several contracts have been unilaterally given to PNC supporters who are unable to deliver and as a result the government will suffer severe financial loss.
In short the APNU+AFC administration is doing exactly what it condemned. It is six of one and half a dozen of the other. It is very unfortunate that since independence 52 years ago there have been endless frauds, money laundering, nepotism, and other wrongdoings which is clear evidence that the locals are too dishonest to handle their own affairs. The Brits have given us a solid structure to work on, but greed has taken over. Guyana is not the only country which is suffering from this problem, but the entire Caribbean and other Commonwealth countries.
Guyana is in a worse position because it has a serious racial problem and instead of it being eliminated it is getting worse especially at election time.
Burnham/Hoyte administrations were in office for 28 long years when harsh measures were introduced including banning of basic food items and where the government was an arm of the party, and the PNC flag was flying over the Courts. The government was changed in 1992 and instead of Cheddi Jagan moving to dismantle the 1980 Constitution which was known as the Burnham Constitution, giving the President all the powers for life, he never did.
The PPP was in government for 23 years, but did nothing significant to assist the masses. They failed the electorate including their main supporters, the sugar workers, they did not make provisions for them. Now they have been kicked out of office, it would be difficult for them to unseat the Granger administration despite the fact the junior partner in the coalition, the AFC will no longer muster the support it did two years ago. Granger and his team are well aware of this fact and are working diligently to secure more votes. They are concentrating on a house-to- house campaign, registering new voters – even Caribbean nationals – and will seek to reduce the voting age from 18 to 16.
The PPP will have to be vigilant to screen the new voters, but will they? There are rumours of disunity among the leadership. In my view Jagdeo is not the right person to lead the PPP to victory. He is too tainted. He is the one that was responsible for the defeat of his party and one wonders why he was chosen as General Secretary and Opposition Leader. Moreover he is Russian trained and it is not likely the United States will support a government under his leadership. By the way it is not certain whether he will be eligible to run for the high office. The CCJ will soon make a ruling, No doubt it will do so before July 3, the date the Court’s President, Sir Denis Byron will vacate office.
Yours faithfully,
Oscar Ramjeet
