APNU+AFC Member of Parliament (MP) Nima Flue-Bess has laid the blame squarely at the door of the government for the “embarrassing” blackout on the night of October 1st at the Guyana National Stadium during a highly anticipated Caribbean Premier League (CPL) cricket match.
The MP opined that under the PPP/C administration, national embarrassments seem to have become the hallmark of Guyana, while emphasising that the power outage was not an isolated incident, but part of a pattern of neglect, poor management and a government asleep at the wheel.
“Imagine, millions of viewers worldwide, their eyes fixed on Guyana, were suddenly left in the dark—literally. The blackout was just another symptom of the deep-seated issues plaguing our nation’s sporting infrastructure, despite funds being allocated in the national budget to maintain these facilities. The cracks in our system are showing—leaky roofs, filthy stadiums, and now a total power outage at an event of this magnitude.”
To bolster her criticism, Flue-Bess recalled other international events like the Aliann Pompey Invitational, and the International Karate Daigaku World Cup, which were tainted by logistical failures and facility breakdowns that she argues could have been avoided with proper management.
The statement made the claim that the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport which is tasked with ensuring sporting venues are up to par, has failed Guyana in “spectacular” fashion. It acknowledged the limitations of the staff at these venues, who can only do so much with the meagre resources they are given, and places the blame lies squarely at the feet of the government, “which has clearly prioritised excuses over real solutions.”
The MP did not fail to note that this blackout occurred during the CPL, a tournament that has seen record-breaking viewership for four consecutive years, with over half a billion people tuning in globally. In 2022, over 722 million people worldwide watched the CPL. She posited that such a logistical failure could negatively impact investor confidence in Guyana.
“This year, Guyana has become a laughingstock in front of this large global viewership. Which investor in their right mind would consider pouring money into a nation where such failures are now routine? A single blackout, viewed by hundreds of millions of people, can shatter any image of reliability and stability that Guyana might try to project. This is occurring while the economic stake is significant.”
The statement also said that the CPL injected a “staggering” US$101.6 million into Guyana’s economy in 2023 alone, the equivalent of over $20 billion and makes the point that this blackout puts that lifeline at risk. “What if the CPL board decides to cut Guyana from the hosting rotation? What if they decide that this country is no longer capable of handling such prestigious events? The result will impact negatively. It will be a significant blow to the entertainment sport and business sectors.”
The Opposition MP, while describing the affair as a manifestation of the crisis of governance, also took the Culture, Youth and Sport Minister, Charles Ramson to task.
“We are not talking about a one-off mistake. This is systemic incompetence and lack of professionalism and an inability to have contingencies for such possible failures so as to reduce the negative impact. It is also indicative of a government that has repeatedly shown it cannot manage the affairs of the country, let alone its international reputation. How many more times will Guyana have to endure such humiliation internationally, before the government realises and acknowledges that it is out of its depth?”, the statement asked.
