January 11, 2016 | By KNews | Filed Under Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom, Source
If the government was serious about having the PPP participate in planning of the events to mark the 50th anniversary of Guyana’s Independence, greater efforts would have been made to get the PPP on board.
The government is claiming that it sent out a letter inviting the PPP to participate in the planning of the observances. The PPP says that it has not received any such letter and suggests that the letter to the Leader of the Opposition should have instead been sent to that person’s official office since the General Secretary of the party cannot open a letter addressed to the Leader of the Opposition.
Sometimes you need to follow up on letters by making a phone call. Relations between the PPP and APNU+AFC government cannot be that strained that a simply phone call cannot be made to find out and encourage the PPP to come on board. If the government was really keen it would have done some follow up with a phone call.
Many of us send out formal letters of invitation to people with clear RSVP indications but almost no one ever replies to indicate definitively whether they are coming. You have to make a call. There is no harm in doing so.
The PPP must however now be glad that it was not on the committee that is planning the 50th anniversary celebrations. The start of Guyana’s 50th anniversary year was most inauspicious. The grand concert at the Square of the Revolution was major flop. The PPP must have been glad that it did not take part.
They may however be interested in tabling a question as to how much that damp squib cost so that they can decide whether the nation got its worth for money. It was far more entertaining watching on television the New Year’s Eve celebrations in Times Square, New York than it was to look at that show that was put on at the Square of the Revolution.
This is not intended to be harsh to the organizers but if this is how Guyana is going to celebrate its 50th birth anniversary, then they had better call off the entire affair.
There were many promises made in the build-up to the show. The nation was promised the most spectacular fireworks display ever. Then on the morning of the show, it was announced on radio that the fireworks will not be held at the Square of the Revolution because it will disturb the animals in the zoo. With all the firecrackers that went off at the stroke of midnight, the animals and birds in the zoo would have settled for the fireworks rather than the deafening explosions of squibs that greeted the New Year.
The Guyana Defence Force put on its usual fireworks display at Camp Ayangana but it was nothing compared to previous years. This was certainly not the spectacular introduction that everyone expected to this Guyana’s 50th year.
The New Year was supposed to be ushered in by the sounding of the sirens at all police stations. Did anyone check to see if these sirens are working because many people claim they did not hear any whistling of the sirens?
The bells in the Churches were supposed to peal to greet the New Year. Many people claim that the pealing of the bells was not heard. It was silent entrance to the New Year.
And the ships must have sailed out of the harbour because they too were supposed to sound their horns to greet the new year but the Demerara Harbour was very silent.
So much so for the grand entrance to the New Year! Let us hope that APNU+AFC does a better job with the economy than they did on Old Year’s Night because if they do not get their act together Guyana will be embarrassed.
