Opposition obstructing policies beneficial to the people
I am a strong believer in the multi-party form of government. But this system necessitates a strong, intelligent and nationalist opposition which could succeed to government with the positive or tacit acceptance by its supporters, its adversaries and by the diplomatic community.
The present parliamentary opposition led by Mr Granger has not so far evidenced those qualities:
(1) The opposition merely obstructs policies which are for the benefit of the nation. These policies, such as the Amalia Falls Hydropower project would have created a competitive industrial base with cheaper electrical power, would have created more employment for the youth and would have jump-started Guyana into a growing economic prosperity. The opposition has killed the Amaila Falls Project without putting anything in place.
(2) The opposition has cut out the subsidy given to the GPL which would have ensured consumers continuing to enjoy cheaper subsidised electricity. And they have put nothing in place.
(3) The opposition has rejected the Specialty Hospital which would have saved the lives and ensured the health of numerous ordinary citizens who do not have wealth or wealthy relatives to pay for high-grade medical treatment either locally or abroad. By so doing, the opposition is responsible for the death of many who would have been successfully treated at the Specialty Hospital. Further, many Guyanese expatriates who would like to retire home in Guyana bringing their pensions and other assets here, could never do so because there is no Specialty Hospital to treat them. And the opposition has brought nothing in place.
(4) At the moment, the opposition’s desire to kill the money-laundering bill in Parliament, will not merely assist the rich money-launderers and even terrorists, but will also damage the Guyana economy and bring it down to the condition worse than the worse days of Mr L.F.S Burnham’s reign with food shortages, high prices, scarcity and people not being able to travel, or send money abroad or receive remittances from families in the USA, Canada and other places. And the opposition continues to try to kill the bill for no reason. The government, the diplomatic community and the ordinary Guyanese people have called upon the opposition to desist from killing the Bill. But they have metaphorically spat in their faces despite the danger of having their visas suspended as supporters of money-launderers and terrorists.
The business community, the diplomatic community and ordinary Guyanese have evaluated the opposition as (a) Weak since obstructing and not putting anything in place shows weakness and not strength. (b) Being anti-business and anti-private sector. (c) Being anti-national since it does not desire greater employment of youth and others. (d) Causes high prices and scarcity. (e) Rejecting the advice and interests of the Diplomatic community and also indicating that were it in Government, they would not honour their international loans.
The opposition, led by Mr. Granger has already given itself the prescription for failure at the next general elections, whether such elections be snap or at the prescribed time. It has lost the support of the diplomatic community, the business community and private sector and ordinary Guyanese folk who see it as unable to govern in any constructive and positive fashion. Mr Granger certainly realises that the days of political parties having racial block votes have passed away and the opposition, or any other political party, could no longer look forward to any racial block-voting without working for it or deserving it. If Mr Granger does not wake up to a constructive and positive mode of parliamentary politics, the PNC/APNU would soon be caught in a crescendo of decline resulting in its days being numbered.
Would Mr Granger at this late hour be able to reverse the failure syndrome which is now engulfing himself and his party?
P.I. PETERS
