THE Alliance for Change (AFC) can no longer deny that its main objective is to make this nation ungovernable and so enable APNU to regain power in this country. The AFC’s agenda and that of the United Force (UF) party in the 1961-64 period are exactly the same.

Once again the AFC has been using the ‘Communist’ propaganda in order to feebly hold on to its support in Berbice. The AFC’s Member of Parliament, Ramayya, on June 28 told Berbicians that since the PPP/C Government is a Communist one, then the US Embassy will stop issuing visas to Berbicians. Ramayya claimed that the same thing happened in the 1960’s when the PPP was in Government. This MP, indeed, has a knowledge deficit when it comes to Guyanese history or he is deliberately trying to rewrite Guyana’s history to suit the AFC’s agenda.
In the period 1961-64, when the PPP was in Government there was no problem in getting a US visa, in fact, many Guyanese migrated to the U.S. in those days to escape racially instigated violence in Guyana. This trend had continued until the US began to place visa restrictions to stem the migration flow to the US. It became increasingly difficult for Guyanese to obtain visas during the PNC dictatorship until they had to resort to the infamous ‘backtrack’ route which eventually destroyed and tore many families apart.
Now once again during the PPP/C tenure in Government, almost every Guyanese can obtain a US visa without the fabrication of volumes of documentation and without the great hassles during the PNC era.
On May 10 this year, The AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan used the same ploy when he told Berbicians that ‘this Communist PPP Government’ will cause the US Embassy to take away or revoke their visas and that they will stop issuing visas to them, ‘all hell will break loose and you will not get your visa.’
Do Ramjattan and Ramayya know more about the modus operandi of the US Embassy than anyone else? Are they privy to inside information or are they making suggestions to the US Embassy? Do they want the US Embassy to act on their suggestions? I think the last question is more in line with their agenda!
Instead of spreading falsehood, I want the AFC to provide factual evidence to prove to the Guyanese people that the PPP/C is governing this country using the Communist ideology. The proof of the pudding is in the eating. The PPP/C Government should be distinguished from the PPP as a political party and this is what the AFC has failed to realise. The economic policy is that of capitalism, the private sector is encouraged, foreign investments are encouraged, there is no price control, the forces of supply and demand are allowed to function, private property is protected and encouraged, there are many independent media houses, and there is no Central Committee making decisions, and the list goes on. The PPP has maintained its strong working class link and that is vital for the survival for the poor people of this country. Is this the Communism that the PPP is guilty of practising? Unlike the AFC, the PPP is not a hypocrite to the cause of the poor and down trodden!
Furthermore, to give credence to his Communist theory, MP Ramayya on this same programme accused the PPP of ‘control freakism.’ But I want to submit here that Ramayya himself is the biggest ‘control freak.’ Here is the evidence. In February 2012, when I was unanimously elected as the AFC’s Regional Management Committee Chairman and Councillor, Donna Mathoo as the Secretary, Ramayya wanted us to do his bidding to raise funds to ‘repay’ him $4.5 M and when we refused to do so he called a new election behind our backs and installed a new chairman and secretary he could manipulate. He selected himself as the vice-chairman to ensure he has control over the inflow of monies and what is going on within the RMC. Ramayya had no bills to substantiate the spending of $4.5M and neither was he authorised to do so and then he rigged the elections to gain control, so who is the ‘control freak’? Then to confirm his ‘control freakism’ Ramayya told his viewers that’ if you feel I am saying something wrong don’t call me.’ This man beats the late L.F.S Burnham by miles! Imagine the AFC programme is a ‘call in’ one, yet Ramayya does not want callers to tell him that he is wrong.
Then this MP who claims to be a capitalist warned Berbicians that they should only read the Stabroek News and Kaieteur News since the Guyana Times and the Guyana Chronicle are not reliable sources of information. However, Ramayya seems to be oblivious of the numerous apologies appearing in small rectangular boxes in both these newspapers mentioned. As a Member of Parliament, he even wants to control which media one should read.
Who is the Communist and who is the ‘control freak’?

HASEEF YUSUF
AFC Councillor-Region 6

extracted from the Guyana Chronicle