SEASON GREETINGS!

Oct 25, 2011 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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So you don’t know what today represents! Shame on you.
Years ago, October 25 was a special day eagerly anticipated in Guyana. Folks would rise early and the first things they would do is to turn on their radio. The radio in those days used to be the common means by which people listened to music. Today there are so many gadgets that allow people to listen to what they please.
But back in the day, it was the radio that made your selection and on October 25, the usual line up would include for the first time for the year, Christmas songs.
That is the significance of October 25; it marked the beginning of that jolly good season. October 25 used to be the day that the radio stations in Guyana started to play Christmas songs. And it usually marked the commencement of Christmas sales by the business community.
Stores would begin their decoration to coincide with the commencement of the playing of Christmas songs on the radio. Imagine two whole months of waiting for that big day, Christmas Day.
This year in Guyana there is another big day. It is Election Day. That day falls on November 28 which means that by the time the results of the elections are out and the country settles down there will be the usual mad rush for Christmas.
With so many political jingles being aired at this time, it is left to be seen just how much Christmas songs can be played.
They call the period leading up to Christmas that wonderful season; it is said that elections are the silly season.
Not true at all! There is nothing silly about elections season. Elections in Guyana are serious business. Well not at all times. There are so many light-hearted moments in Guyana that the season can be downright funny.
Take for example the Justice for All Party. A report in online edition of yesterday’s Stabroek News reported that the JFAP is supporting A Partnership for National Unity (APNU). But quite interestingly, the same report notes that the JFAP has a prime ministerial and presidential candidate.
Now where else but Guyana are you going to find a political party that is endorsing another political grouping, yet at the same time has a new prime ministerial and presidential candidate?
Someone needs to inform the supporters of JFAP who they should be voting for. Should they be placing their Xs beside the scales of justice. Or should it be alongside the open palm?
The PPPC wants everyone to raise their cups. APNU wants everyone to raise their hands. What if someone raises their hands holding a cup?
The PPPC promises a laptop for very family. Every family will get a laptop. In fact the aircraft bringing the first batch is to arrive soon.
APNU is planning to however hoping to win votes by announcing a laptop for every teacher. Now if you are average voter and one party says it will give a laptop for every family and another says it will give a laptop for very teacher. Which party are you to vote for? Unless APNU is planning to make every citizen a teacher, this promise is not a vote-getter.
What is also not a vote getter is APNU’s plans to make Georgetown a “hot spot” meaning that a person with any computer you can connect to the internet from any part of the city.
The PPP of course had long before this promised nation-wide connectivity and already persons with Blackberries in rural areas can connect easily to the web. So how smart is APNU in only promising to make Georgetown a hot spot?
Yesterday’s Stabroek News reports that the PPP had a few hundreds at its East Coast rally. In fact, twice in the article reporting on the rally, the Stabroek News spoke about the hundreds. Kaieteur News on the other hand spoke about the rally being attended by tens of thousands. The PPP says twenty thousand. So who is to be believed?
Was it a few thousand that attended the PPP rally at Lusignan tarmac or was it tens of thousands of was it simply twenty thousand? See why elections season is called the silly season.
It is fun in election. That is until the votes are counted and losers are known. Then the problem starts.
Hopefully this year, no such thing will occur and Guyana will settle down to enjoy the best season of all, the Christmas Season.
So before Nomination Day arrives and before Elections Day arrives and everyone forgets that we are two months away from Christmas, let me wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Whether it will be a happy New Year for the PPPC or for APNU is left to be seen. But whatever the result, many are coming back home. The flights are already booked. So see you at the Main Big Lime. And enjoy your silly season as you prepare for the Christmas Season

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