Youths will judge the records of Ramotar and Jagdeo, not Burnham

Dear Editor, Over the last few weeks, the PPP/C has been spreading half truths and lies about late President Forbes Burnham and the policies he implemented in Guyana. They talk about the necessary restriction of certain food items, and long lines for basic commodities.  I suspect the motive is to drive fear in the minds of people and force them to vote them back in office.  However, three things must be said about this sort of campaign message by the PPP/C: First, those fear-mongers are incapable of reaching the youths of Guyana with that message. Many of them were not born during that time. Our youths are bright and intelligent and cannot be easily fooled; they can think and act for themselves. Therefore, that message is ineffective and cannot attract the attention of our young people. Youths between the ages of 18 and 23 (60% of the voting population is under 35) were born under this incompetent, uncaring, corrupt government; that is what they know. This is what they will challenge on May 11, 2015; not the ghosts of Mr. Burnham or Mr. Jagan. They will judge the record of President Donald Ramotar and former President Bharrat Jagdeo. They see Ministers of the government building big mansions, driving the best vehicles and living in posh, gated communities while everyone else must be contented to wait for the crumbs that fall from their table. They see Ministers giving their children, relatives and friends the best education and the opportunities and the best jobs while university graduates are forced to accept menial tasks or be unemployed. They see the destruction of the city, municipalities, town and villages by government-imposed Interim Management Committees, and incompetent individuals in the offices of Town Clerks and Regional Executive Officers. They see the only university in Guyana crumbling before their very eyes, the interference of government in institutions and agencies that ought to be independent and working in the interest of the people in the context of fairness and justice. They see the original PPP/C been held hostage by a small cabal and the establishment of a dynasty. It is not what the late President Cheddi Jagan would have wanted for his party. Second, the actions of Burnham must be seen in the context of the oil crisis and its attendant consequences in the 1970s. All non-producing oil countries suffered severe economic shock as a result of that crisis. The leadership, at that time, had to take certain measure to protect and preserve the country’s economy. In any case, many of the measures taken to restrict certain items encouraged creativity and innovation. Many local industries developed as we produced much of what we eat in those days. Further, there were internal pressures from the then opposition PPP/C in the sugar and rice industries. All of that combined to challenge the effectiveness of the then government. However, what the PPP/C is not telling people on their campaigns to retain power is that the late President Desmond Hoyte reversed many of the measures taken by Mr. Burnham. He lifted the restrictions on food items, opened up the society and allowed for the mushrooming of democracy in Guyana. The PPP/C has deliberately and deceitfully left Mr. Hoyte out of the picture, out of their political narrative because if they did that, then they really do not have a story to tell. But people are not silly; they are reading through the lines and understand clearly where the PPP/C is coming from. Many of the things the PPP/C is taking credit for actually started with Mr. Hoyte; they are not sufficiently honest to say that to their supporters. Also, many of the people who worked with President Burnham and Hoyte are now in the PPP/C camp. If Burnham was so bad, why would the PPP/C take into their ranks people who were trained and mentored by him? It has to be that the ruling party is using Burnham as an emotional flashpoint to scare unsuspecting and vulnerable persons into voting them back in office; it will not work. Finally, with all the development the PPP/C is talking about and with all the milk some of that party say they are now drinking, Guyana is very unsafe with very serious crimes being committed everyday, entire communities have been neglected for years, suicides are on the increase particularly among our young people (figures of such incidents are the highest in this part of the world) our education system is in a mess, our cultural infrastructure is undeveloped and people are migrating in droves to other countries. I am encouraging young people to go out on May 11, 2015 and vote like a boss for APNU+ AFC; vote PPP/C out of power and let us move forward to build a country where all can share in its resources. Carissa Anderson