Dear Editor,
Guyana has always been touted as a country with great potential. At times, it has shown glimmers of that greatness. I refer to the period of the later 1950s to the early 1960s, when some strong signs of what could be achieved were seen in the achievements in every aspect of life.
Despite the horrible opposition that the PPP faced in that period, it still saw our country performing and making important achievements that are still playing an important part in Guyana’s development.
To name just a few, the University of Guyana was established in the face of strenuous opposition from external forces and the PNC at home. However, Guyana’s education system then was producing so many students at the GCE examinations that it became necessary. Moreover, Dr Cheddi Jagan saw a need for such an institution for the training of our own technicians and managers and saw it as an instrument to promote democracy and equality of opportunities throughout the land. His Minister of Education, C.V. Nunes, was very capable and that was achieved in 1963.
In order to realise the country’s agricultural potential, he thought it necessary to put agriculture on a scientific basis. He and Brindley Benn worked relentlessly to establish the Guyana School of Agriculture at Mon Repos. That institution has served and is serving our country very well to date.
Under the PPP’s tenure, new crops were introduced such as peanuts, cabbage, etc. Guyana’s coffee was processed into Instant Guyana Coffee. Production in every area soared.
Work was being done to make coconut another big and important crop. It began with the establishment of the coconut milk plant at Mon Repos.
The PPP government also had huge land development schemes; Black Bush Polder and Tapacuma, and did a lot of the work on the MMA.
Cheddi Jagan also fought the bauxite company to establish the aluminum plant at McKenzie, now Linden.
In that same period, working people, for the first time, began owning their own homes. Those houses still stand in Ruimveldt, Campbellville, Lodge, etc.
In health, the Georgetown Public Hospital was significantly expanded and grew. Malaria was eradicated as medical facilities were constructed throughout the length and breadth of our country.
Other important institutions were created including the Bank of Guyana.
The transportation system saw massive changes with three new ferries: Malali, Torani and Macoura. Classes in the ferries and the trains were removed. In so doing, segregation was eliminated.
The PPP in government in that period began the programme of Guyanization of the public service. That was replacing the British personnel with Guyanese at the senior public service level. Many Guyanese were given the opportunity to shine. One that comes to mind is Gavin Kennard.
As mentioned above, all this was done in the face of unbelievable opposition by an alliance of foreign forces and the PNC.
The PNC took power in 1964. That period lasted until 1992.
That time could be described as a lost era. Many of the gains were reversed.
We were visited by such diseases as beri-beri and malaria returned with a vengeance. Life expectancy plummeted.
Our economy collapsed and so too our social services. We began to be equated with Haiti as being extremely poor. We became a Heavily Indebted Poor Country.
How did that happen? Why was it allowed to happen?
It happened because the PNC began rigging elections and established an administrative dictatorship.
Human and political rights were severely curtailed and opposition was met with violence and terror. The PNC succeeded in this massive destruction because it removed all checks and balances and the three pillars of government, which were supposed to be independent, were merged into one. The mentality that the whole state was just an arm of the PNC, like its youth arm or women’s arm, was most destructive and led to a de facto dictatorship. Accountability was lost, deprofessionalism of the public service occurred, transparency was non-existent and corruption invaded the land.
The PNC managed because many persons in constitutional positions did not stand up for the independence of the institutions. They acquiesced in the creation of the dictatorship. The parliament became a rubber stamp due to rigged elections and the judiciary lost its independence because judges caved in to pressure to give the regime what it wanted. The police and army allowed themselves to be used by the PNC for political oppression.
Of course, there were some notable exceptions, like Justice Vieira who delivered an important judgement in the Mirror newspaper case. He had to leave the country as did Justice Luckhoo. Those examples only served to highlight the cowardice of the many others in the public service and constitutional institutions.
That nightmare ended in 1992, as the struggle of our people, in a changed international situation, brought an end to that period.The PPP/C took office in 1992 with free and fair elections, coupled with the professionalization of the public institutions. Our country surged ahead once more.
The quality of life notably improved and most importantly, human rights were always respected. Democracy flourished.
That had a very positive impact on our economy and the social sector. We were, once more, becoming an example to many others as it related to good governance.
When the PNC led APNU+AFC took power in May 2015, the hope was that they would have built on the gains made and take our country ever further along the road of freedom and prosperity.
That, unfortunately, was not to be.
Instead, the PNC decided to try to stay in power by returning to the practices of the past. We seem to be heading down the same road that the PNC took in the 1964 period. It is leading to poverty and suppression again.
The growing unemployment, the rise in crimes are some of the symptoms of what is to come.
All democratic and patriotic forces must stand up now to halt the decline! Later may be much too late.
Guyana will only achieve its full potential in a free and democratic environment at the heart of which is free and fair elections. Nothing else can succeed!
Yours faithfully,
Donald Ramotar
Former President
