new word in parliament from Ramjattan: GONNA......

Bad pronunciation and incorrect grammar have been features of parliamentary debates in Guyana for decades. I remember citing examples from PPP parliamentarians' contributions at a Party regional conference at Freedom House in the late 1980s. I had also pointed out that PPP speakers at public meetings were butchering the English language. One activist who spoke at a mid-day public meeting outside Guyana Stores in 1980 told her listeners: "How can $11 a day mantain a family?" That person later served as Guyana's Ambassador to Cuba.

In the 1960s and early 1970s many young persons attended public meetings not only for the political message but also for the method of delivery. Afterwards, we offered our views on who and who were good public speakers. For the same reason I used to attend parliamentary sittings after work in the evenings.

It seems as if the situation has deteriorated.