POLITICAL OPPOSITION OR OBSTRUCTION?
A perspective by Harry Gill

The former British Prime Minister, the great Sir Winston Churchill once said, “The duty of the opposition is to oppose.” There is no doubt that to oppose is part of keeping the administration accountable for its actions. Ensuring checks and balances is fundamental to democracy. The opposition’s main role is to expose weakness in government policies and remain a vigilant watchdog over the action and inaction of the government by playing the oversight role: Ensuring that the actions of government are in the best interest of the people. The two bills relating to the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project (AFHP) presented by the government last Thursday in Parliament, required such scrutiny.
Were these legislative amendments in the best interest of the Guyanese people? And if so, why were they shot down?
Despite the blunder of awarding Makeshwar Fip Motilall the initial contract to build the AFHP service road, there is no doubt that Guyana stands to benefit tremendously from a cheaper, more reliable source of electricity: The nation will save an estimated $40 billion annually by reducing the importation of fossil fuel now being used; Residential electricity rates will be reduced by 25-40%; Blackouts will be significantly reduced or become extinct; Overall production within the manufacturing and commercial sectors will be increased; Burglaries of homes during blackouts will be reduced; School children will have more productive hours to study; The loss of refrigerators and other electrical appliances caused by unstable electricity will become a thing of the past; and Guyana will be able to attract more foreign investors that would create jobs for more of our nationals.

Already we have seen a significant increase in the production cost of this project from US$675 million, to US$840 million. This is tied to a rise in commodities; the appreciation of the Chinese currency against the US dollar; and the Debt Political Risk Insurance costing US$55.7M as is demanded by the Chinese. Obviously, they know just how uncooperative and obstructive the opposition in Guyana can be. 
Financial closure for the project hinges on the approval of a US$175M loan from the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). A major concern of the IDB is the assurance that the Guyana Power and Light (GPL) has the ability to manage the project and to make the necessary repayments. Hence the motion to raise the Debt Ceiling to secure the IDB loan. 
Funding for the project comes from a variety of sources: The Guyana Government is committed to US$100M in equity. This comes from the US$250M LCDS initiatives such as the Memorandum of Understanding signed with Norway. It is being used in part for the construction of the access road.
With the IDB’s approval of the loan for the hydroelectric project, it is also expected that the World Bank would be more subservient to the release of Norway funds.China Development Bank will be providing some US$413.2M, and the Inter-American Development Bank US$175M. Sithe Global will be providing US$152.1 million, bringing the total project cost to US$840.3M.However, the longer this project takes to be build, the anticipated increase in the cost of construction materials may very well make it unprofitable to pursue. 

As a Build Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT), the hydroelectric plant will be fully owned by the Guyana people after 20 years, and is expected to last for at least 75 years, and quite possibly much longer. As it relates to the critical nature of the financial closure, Sithe Global Chief Executive Officer Bruce Wrobel said that should this not become a reality soon, then Guyana could see the project being put on the back burner for the next five to ten years.
Time is of the essence, but one will ever know judging from the Joint Opposition’s reckless, unpatriotic, and vindictive vote against a bill to amend the Hydro Electric Act, and a motion to raise the Debt Ceiling to secure a US$175M loan from the Inter-American Development Bank for this project. This was done with full knowledge that a July 30 deadline looms for submission to the IDB as a prerequisite for IDB funding of the Amaila Hydro Project. 
In an effort to justify his party’s vindictive and irresponsible act, and contrary to admitting his support for the AFHP, leader of the Alliance For Change, Khemraj Ramjattan, blamed PPP/C Parliamentarians for not supporting the four Local Government Bills that were presented before, and said in a press conference, “The bullyism and attempt to dominate the National Assembly by the minority PPPC Government forced the AFC to withhold its support for the Hydroelectric Bill.”
Is that so Mr. Ramjattan? Since when does a retaliatory vote that holds the country to ransom, a justifiable act? I have no doubt that most Guyanese, and indeed those in the diaspora who funded the AFC campaign for “change” during the last election, would strongly reject this explanation from a man who aspires to be the leader of this nation. Indeed, this view was eloquently expressed by an AFC supporter, Reza Holladar who wrote in a letter (Kaieteur News, July 21): “Please allow me some space in your news paper to explain the total disappointment myself and colleagues feel with the party of our choice at the 2011 election. We are young professionals, the so called future of Guyana and we truly believed Mr. Moses Nagamootoo and Khemraj Ramjattan when they declared that they are going to usher in a new type of politics, one that is based on principles, with the young generation at the centre of Guyana’s development.We believed them, switched from the PPP and campaigned feverishly for the AFC, sparing no time and resource because we truly believed that Guyana finally have a chance of creating a new political culture with young people at the centre of it all…. We were sure that with the AFC holding the balance of power in the Parliament, the era of constructive engagement would become an important part of Guyana’s politics, and that the national, and not individual or group interests, will determine the order of the day.But alas, we were in for great disappointments. Our first disappointment was when our leaders, Mr. Moses Nagamootoo and Khemraj Ramjattan abused our votes and supported the residents of Linden’s demand for free electricity without giving a thought to the fact that it is we who are saddled with the burden of Linden’s electricity bill. The second disappointment was when the AFC instigated and encouraged the Agricola mayhem. The third was the chopping of all of the government’s major development projects from which the young generation stands to benefits the most.And now, the biggest disappoint of them all, the denial of all Guyanese, especially the young generation, of the lifeline of development – cheap, reliable and abundant energy, by voting down the Hydro Electric Project. We could have expected anything, but not this, especially since there is not one single valid reason for this action.” Mr. Holladar added, “We used to be proud to be associated with the AFC, but now with the voting down of the Hydro Electric Project we are ashamed to be so identified. How can Moses Nagamootoo, Khemraj Ramjattan and other leaders of the AFC, who promised the young people of Guyana a better future, by their irrational and vindictive actions seek to destroy the very foundations upon which that promised future must be built?” And I may add, how can these people sleep at nights knowing that they are guilty of not fulfilling the role the electorate gave them - that of a constructive opposition, rather than the obstructive force they have now become.

The AFC was not alone in this defiant and unpatriotic act. David Granger’s PNC/APNU demonstrated once again that because they failed while in power, they are not prepared to give the PPP/C an opportunity to succeed. This is evident by the lack of support given to major national development projects such as the Amalia Falls Hydroelectric Plant; the CJIA expansion; and the Marriott Hotel. Hell, they even blocked security measures that would prevent money laundering and make Guyana safe from criminals. How much more irresponsible can they be?
The PNC/APNU is determined not to support any project that would further enhance the popularity of the ruling PPP/C, regardless of how much the entire nation stands to benefit.

Upper Mazaruni Hydroelectric Project:
It was former President Forbes Burnham who told civil servants during his tenure, “Do you want a salary increase, or do you want hydroelectricity? You can’t have both.” Of course, they got neither.
After the massively rigged election in 1973, Burnham set about to fulfill his campaign promise to develop a large hydro-electric power complex in the Upper Mazaruni region, aimed at powering an aluminium smelter he proposed building at Linden. At that time, Guyana was spending more than 25 percent of its Gross Domestic Product on fuel imports costing about $500 million (US$250M). This project soon ran into serious problems: The plan required the construction of a dam at Sand Landing on the Upper Mazaruni River which would have created a 500 square kilometres reservoir by flooding nearby Amerindian villages. This location was condemned by the captains of the Akawaio Tribe who strongly objected to the displacement of the estimated 4,000 Amerindians from their land. 
In the meanwhile, the PNC Government had began work on the project. By 1978 more than US$25M had been spent from taxpayers money to start the construction of the access road. Because of a border dispute, Venezuela strongly objected to the World Bank financing the Hydro Plant. This caused the project to be suspended and hundreds of workers to be laid off. By 1984, after spending over a billion Guyana dollars, and failing to secure international financing, the PNC Government eventually decided not to proceed any longer with the Hydroelectric Plant. As a result, the plan for the construction of an aluminium smelter was also shelved.
Twenty-nine years later, and after inheriting a bankrupted state in 1992, the PPP/C Administration finally has an opportunity to achieve this national objective that would benefit all Guyanese, and the PNC/APNU and AFC are behaving like the Venezuelans did back then… Blocking the project.

Feed, Clothe & House the Nation by 1976
On May 8, 1973 The PNC Administration announced the establishment of a novel programme. According to Dr. Kenneth King, the then Minister of Economic Development, this development plan would “create employment opportunities”, generate “equal distribution of incomes” and spur “equitable geographic distribution of economic activities”. Its main objective, however, was to feed, house and clothe the nation by 1976. An amount of $1.15 billion (US$1.00 = G$2.00) was budgeted for this. But when 1976 ended, this national goal of housing the nation was a colossal failure, as only 4,167 housing units or 6.5 percent of the 65,000 target was realized. It must be noted that the houses built were all concentrated in Georgetown or in rural Afro-Guyanese communities from which the PNC drew political support. Today, Guyanese of every political affiliation and ethnicity, are the proud beneficiaries of this government’s dynamic housing programme.
Sanata Textile Mill:
During the 70’s, the PNC’s “clothing” programme was also a national disaster. Cotton was cultivated at Kimba, and processed at the Sanata Textile Mill which was built by the Chinese government. The cotton, cultivated mainly by members of the National Service, was short in both quantity and quality to meet the requirements of the factory. As a result, raw cotton had to be imported from the USA to keep it running. Despite this, the quality of cloth produced was not of a very good standard, and the quantities were grossly inadequate to meet the needs of the population. As such, fabrics continued to be imported, but because of import restrictions imposed by the government, these as well as clothing became expensive commodities. Inflation and a virtual wage freeze during that period also drastically reduced the ability of most Guyanese to purchase clothing.

After all the failures of the PNC who now call themselves APNU, neither David Granger, Joseph Harmon nor Carl Greenidge is in a position to lecture anyone on good governance. For Harmon to insinuate that they had “no time to fully cogitate on the significance of the amendments proposed by the Government”, is in itself dishonest.
Every conceivable attempt was made by the government to inform and keep the AFC and PNC/APNU abreast of what was happening with the project by way of several closed-door consultations. According to Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh, “These consultations occurred over several months, as government tirelessly tried to facilitate the inclusion of all stakeholders. Since 2012, the joint Opposition met with Sithe Global for a walk through of the project. On March 14, 2012 Government presented a detailed overview of the project and invited questions and concerns to be raised, yet no one did. The public and Opposition were once again given the opportunity to be briefed on the project during the 2012 Budget Debates, during which the development of the road leading to the hydro site was discussed. In 2013, there were four forums at which the Opposition was updated, apprised, and even given a tour of the road, as government attempted to reach across and involve all political stakeholders.In addition to the inclusion of the joint Opposition, government also facilitated the Private Sector, Opposition, and media consultations by Sithe Global. There were also environmental consultations with all key stakeholders including the indigenous people as part of government’s effort to involve the public.”
Guyana is much different today: A thriving economy; increased food production; and more homeowners than anyone could have imagined. The government is not perfect, but they are doing a great job with the resources available despite an opposition that is determined to stymie progress under the PPP/C. Guyanese are more prosperous and much better off today. They have a lot to be thankful for: Free education; Free text books; Free school uniforms; Free medical; Subsidized electricity for the PNC/APNU stronghold of Linden; Subsidized electricity for pensioners, and the list goes on.

As a historian, David Granger is well aware of the importance of the Hydroelectric project to the continued development of Guyana. But as Leader of the Opposition, this may not be his priority. But to his credit, he warned, “If badly managed, Amaila will do severe damage to the National Economy.” I guess being a member of a failed political party that bankrupted Guyana a few decades ago, Granger knows best... He’s talking from experience.