The best emancipation gift this nation had was one year ago. President Granger accepted defeat and stepped down – giving power back to the PPP/C .There are so many points of contention we can argue when it comes to the PPP/C. I will agree with you on most of them because it will be coming from our perception based on historical facts and secondly from a place of how we were cultured and educated to look at PPP/C and East Indians. Mind you, East Indians have been cultured and educated to look at Afro Guyanese from a self preservation platform.
But if we set aside emotions and add to the discussion core competence, policy, strategic and visionary leadership, and the demand for Guyana to be transformed into 21st century relevant and standard state, then there is not much for us to differ on. Guyana was once a colonialist state with two major race contention: African slaves vs East Indian indentured laborers. Guyana is rich in natural resources that are still hunted by colonial powers. This reality creates three nightmares for Guyana:
Wealth curse which breeds corruption and crime.
Western aggression and meddling in our political and cultural affairs to their economic advantage.
And race conflict, where each race is viewed as suspects.
From this platform emerged APNU/AFC and PPP/C. The APNU/AFC and PPP/C have two completely different political styles and philosophies. So you will always find so called wrongs if you embrace one side and not the other. APNU/AFC is a so called “team” of administrators and managers without a comprehensive vision or strategic avenues. The APNU/AFC’s political platform is nationalism, very passive with friendly political leadership as covering for dictatorship and meeting their perceived needs of the nation rather that the nation’s felt needs.
The PPP/C on the other hand is a team of leadership that are assertive to aggressive, recognizing they are dealing with the western world that made Indians second class citizens in the 1800’s to removing them from political power in the 60’s -70’s to championing their cause for free and fair election in 2020.
After Haiti and Haitians is Guyana and Guyanese. The second to none best political party to lead Guyana in this transitional phase and set it on a commanding platform is the PPP/C which means that the opposition party needs to be A + in its duties, functions, and responsibilities towards keeping, holding, and making sure the government is accountable to the nation.
If you give a government unlimited power, they will use it all. Hence the need for opposition. Note: opposition with the meaning of the word “to oppose.” That is, to offer a competent, feasible, commanding alternative governance and leadership. There is a perceived fear that the PPP/C will do as they did for 23 years. If you think so, then you must agree that the APNU/AFC will do as they did for 28 years. If you think the PPP/C is dangerous for Guyana, think again. The greatest danger to Guyana is a feeble opposition .
As it is, you can argue that the president is not his own man but a puppet to the Vice President. Do you know the meaning and looks of grooming, mentoring young people into leadership position. How many of us wish our parents, family member, friend, a business or political person even a pastor helped us to grow unto the area of life we badly wanted to serve in or have our career? I have seen signature achievement reflecting Dr. Ali’s personal competence or giftedness: Housing, infrastructure, Road networking. Leadership. After year 1, I give PPP B+. There are areas of improvement, youth and culture, human services, labor. I personally think PPP/C’s next 60 years will not resemble anything like 1992 to 2015.
Mr. Telford Layne is a Guyanese psychologist and writer who resides in Georgetown, Guyana, South America.
