Accept with thanks, smiles, then vote!
It was long obvious to me that His Excellency wasn’t/isn’t too fond of the Caribbean Court’s (CCJ’s) judicial instruction that his administration is of care-taker status.
His Excellency goes for “interim government” instead.
Friends will recall my rock-solid conclusion. If only as a concerned but informed citizen. It is that His Excellency’s Coalition had demonstrated (dubiously), to our CARICOM region and the wider political world, just how to nullify a perfectly-valid no-confidence vote against the status and authority of a government. And to defiantly continue “governing” for one year as if nothing ever happened in the Assembly last December. And thousands of adult Guyanese citizens, living in the Republic – “Coalition supporters” or not – have accepted His Excellency’s defiance! If even for “peace sake”.
How did His Excellency pull it off? Well that is the rich vein of study for political students; even constitutional scholars. Employed skillfully were all types of litigation to delay (33 not more than 32 for a simple majority, etc.); interpretations of Judicial Decisions and numerous appeals; relative sloth of local judicial processes; deliberate mis-representation of our Constitutional provisions; the obvious lack of unified opposition (in offices, on streets); and the reluctance of the CCJ to be more emphatic in its final decision.
But as a mere “unlearned” layman I suppose I “shouldn’t go there”, regarding the latter.
Successful projects, “people-beneficiaries”
Some form of government and national management must go on. Workers, all citizens must be guided, current projects managed, people paid.
If you peruse the outputs of First Vice-President Nagamootoo’s Chronicle(s) and public information outfit you’re bound to be impressed by numerous positive good-news reports.
PM Nagamootoo’s INFO HUB does a reasonable job of announcing new laboratories long-delayed, long-needed; new bridges and footpaths; long-requested, long-awaited vehicles and boats for President’s College and “Amerindian” areas.
I recall that decades ago I read of drug/cartel bosses in states such as Peru, Bolivia, Colombia offering governments financial assistance! Even as they contributed significantly to the well-being of the poor needy coca farmers. Those sometimes devout Roman Catholic farmers were forever thankful to the drug lords who disbursed funds and gifts to the poor quicker, more effectively than the government.
That’s just an analogy to “explain” why most of the adult population here – the majority being “poverty-line people” – will gladly accept the visiting ministers’ on-the-spot or promised bounties. As incumbents do, the PNC ministers are using tax-payers’ money to promote PNC campaign work for anticipated re-election to all offices.
Frankly Speaking, poor beneficiaries must conveniently put aside their religious teachings, their (once) moral “standards”, their electoral preferences if it’s not “PNC/Coalition”, for need trumps morality these days. So as the ministers visit the Essequibo Islands for the first time; the hinterland communities, Ituni, Aroaima and Roraima, Mocha and Sophia, I urge the people: accept with thanks and smiles all your tax-dollars will give you at this season, via your loving ministers. Then, whenever Election Day rolls around (March 2, ???), vote according to the dictates of your conscience and objective assessments of those soliciting your support – to retain or reclaim.
Budgeted bounties – unconstitutional? Welcome!
The PPP’s Holy Man, former junior Finance Minister Bishop Edghill reminds us that His Excellency’s Public Service salary increases bounty was long budgeted for in Minister “Good-Life” Jordan’s 2019 Budget passed about one year ago.
The Bishop says His Excellency’s “Salaries Increase” Address to the Nation was mere elections gimmickry. Sure! I agree. But record now solid votes from PNC-friendly public servants. (Incidentally, if the increases were long catered for, why is the total cost of next month’s payout not known?)
So is this PNC – aka “APNU” – government – interim, caretaker, transitional – currently entering into new agreements, loans, national programmes? Unconstitu-tional? Again, the population – whatever its political preference, will welcome the goodies. Ho-ho.
Ponder…slowly and well
● 1) So the European masters fostered racial divide-and-rule techniques among the slaves and indentureds – beyond the plantations and estates. But to this day the “educated” of all races cannot achieve racial cohesion? Political manipulators that good? Peaceful co-existence, I say.
● 2) My Good Lord! New UG Chancellor Professor Dr John Edward Greene is one of the most qualified dudes I recently read about.
● 3) GPSU President (for life!) Patrick Yarde is to protest in a “vigorous manner” His Excellency’s arbitrary, non-collective bargaining salary increases. Ho-ho-ho.
● 4) The convicted rapist is convicted no more. The jury did not deliberate long enough! Ho-ho.
● 5) The Matthews Ridge bandits’ weaponry also included a Global Positioning System (GPS) device. Wow!
What does that tell you?
● 6) I’m impressed with what the police promised the residents of Mocha, EBD. Vote well comrades.
● 7) At one AFC conference His Excellency, well-meaning or politically shrewd, stated: “Coalition politics is here to stay.” No wonder AFC is being rude.
● 8) Parliament had no sittings for months. What’s being done with those millions saved? On food, etc, etc?
● 9) Coming soon: Regarding President Irfaan – or Prime Minister Khemraj.
’Til next week!
(allanafenty@yahoo.com)
