Dear Editor,
A scan of SN’s May 19th front page turned up two gems. They confirm how lost our main political groups are, and how distant from reality are the leaders of those groups. Instead of being about a ‘can-do’ attitude’ that powers the paramountcy of what is good for this country, there is party and leadership continued reliance on foreign resolutions.
The first caption was: “Harmon complains to international agencies over mangrove destruction.” The Opposition Leader complains too much, does too little of anything else. He should be pressuring leaders of the PPP government on the big-ticket items, and not be occupied with putting out fires. As important as the environment is, the Opposition Leader must justify his existence by getting in the face of a president and Vice President bent on destroying Guyana’s prospects, while justifying their devastations. He cannot lead by proxy, this moribund state. I am appalled that the Opposition Leader is content with figures and reports from Exxon about what is happening with local oil production. Nobody knows squat about what Exxon does; the company is not an honest ‘box-hand’ partner. Any Opposition Leader of standing must confront the dodgy government leaders, who smartly go along with any offal that Exxon delivers in their laps. The pressure is not being applied by the opposition on the government. As examples, I submit COVID-19 dangers, gas to shore, Cotton Tree, and police interference; in these areas, the opposition and its leader(s) have been bleary-eyed, hollow-voiced, weak-kneed, and MIA.
As for the PPP government, the second title, “PPP rejects criticism of electoral reform project” told its own story. In an area where the approach should stand as the very embodiment of local content, the foundations and almost all of the architecture are erected by foreigners. And what kind of foreigners! Anytime that we believe that the IMF and World Bank has Guyana uppermost, then we are mentally deficient and intellectually depraved. And, when on something as visceral as electoral reform, our first and foremost dependence for guidance is on outsiders, then we not only have a government and people that admit openly that we cannot think for ourselves, but we also tender that we do not trust ourselves, we have no regard for each other, and we have no confidence that we can achieve anything substantial on our own. Editor, when it is convenient and self-enriching, the PPP government takes the high road to pontificate about how we can and must do things on our own. Regarding our vulgar, self-destructive electoral intimacies (ugly to the soul), they refuse to use the same standard, and kneel before the altar of foreign charity. It is best that we patch our own wounds, struggle to find lasting remedies. This once, let us show the world that we can stand on our own feet, have the courage to forage for remedies, forge ahead, and be proud of the results. Homegrown and thoroughly locally fertilized.
Sincerely,
GHK Lall
