No permanent friends, just permanent interests!

Apr 13, 2016 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

The political culture of Guyana is not going to change overnight. But change will also not come unless steps are taken to do things differently from what was done during the time of the PPP.
It is a well- known fact that when the PPP was in opposition for 28 years, the business class did not want anything to do with them. The business class is an opportunistic class; they move with the tide.
This is exactly what happened in 1992 when the PPP came to power. The business class had, under the PNC, proffered its loyalty to that party. There was even a group of businessmen who had come together to establish a Committee for the Re-election of the President. The people developed an acronym for that committee. They called it CREEP. Some members of CREEP ingratiated themselves into the camp of the PPP minutes after the party won the 1992 elections.
It is not surprising, therefore, to learn that a great many of the businesses who were perceived to be close to the PPP, after that party’s loss in the 2015 elections, were seen rubbing shoulders with government officials.
This is how the business class operates. There are no political loyalties, only business interests. Whoever is in power is going to be courted.
There is a perception that the government was aligning itself with supporters of the PPP who have business interests. This is a false perception. The business class’ loyalties are to itself. That is something that both the government and their supporters are misreading.
It is being claimed that the government is getting close to certain business interests who were perceived to be close to the previous government. That perception is wrong. It does not matter which party is in power, it is in the interest of the business class to align itself to the government.
The issue is not about friendship. Friendships can be made and unmade. It is about interests. When you are in power the members of the business class cling to you like bees to a honeycomb. But when you are out, you are “out like south.”
There was once a very wealthy family in Guyana. When the PNC was in power, the patriarch of the family was aligned to the government. When the government changed, a family member was seen to be very close to the new government. This is how business works.
There was another family which, when it seemed possible that the PPP could win the 1992 elections, had one brother align himself to the PPP and the other brother to the PNC. The family could not lose. Whichever way the election went, it would win. This was a very smart thing to do.
The business class donates to both sides of the political fence during election campaign season. It has always had friends in both camps. It has two sets of envelopes at the wait during campaign time: one set for the opposition and the other set for ruling party. This is the insurance for the business class. It matters not who wins; the business class does not lose.
The business class must understand by now that it is being used by the new government. It has been used and it is now being kicked around like a football. It has donated and now that it plans to reap its rewards it is being told to go to hell, that it is not wanted. This is ingratitude.
The business class has always felt that it had to be sycophants to the government. It has always felt that it has to “suck up” to the new rulers. It has played along with this role for decades It is time for the business class to stop being weak.
It is time for business persons to stop trying to groom support by ingratiating themselves to the new rulers. They should get the message. They are not wanted.
The business class has to get off its knees and not humiliate itself anymore. The business class will not learn. It will sit back and allow itself to be kicked around. Then five years from now, it will give donations to the same parties that have been kicking it around.
The business class cannot help itself. It is a sad and tragic case for which there is no hope. Nothing that the business class can do will change what is about to happen. A new group of business tycoons is going to emerge. The present group has to step aside. This is how it has always been. This is how it always will be.

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