The opposition wants an end to the rape and plunder of the state treasury

Apr 23, 2012 Letters

Dear Editor,
On Wed 18th April 18, 2012 I was passing in the vicinity of Parliament Buildings when I happened upon a scene that was reminiscent of the late 1970’s and early 1980’s when the PNC regime routinely coerced state and gov’t workers to demonstrate in favour of the Government. This time it was the “PPP democracy” that had forced workers to picket in favour of the budget. Workers told me that they were threatened with dismissal if they did not comply with orders to picket.
Most of the workers were ashamed to be there and pleaded with me not to photograph them. Only the mother of a senior minister asked me to take a picture of her with her placard. I met an old PPP/PYO comrade from the West Bank Demerara, Krishna Persaud, who fought valiantly against the “PNC dictatorship” and I saw the shame on his face. I saw my old Math teacher from the Cyril Potter College of Education, Mr Goolsarran, and he turned his face in shame. I ran into a very senior Civil Servant who jokingly said, “Malcolm bhai, in the 70’s the PNC forced me to picket, now the PPP forcing me to picket!”
Whilst the PPP has now emulated the PNC, the circumstances are not the same. In fact, they are quite opposite. In the days of the “PNC dictatorship” and the socialist experiment, funds were scarce and there was petty corruption and theft, but today we have billions of dollars and massive corruption and downright thievery.
The 2012 budget was tailored to continue the leakage of billions into the pockets of PPP cronies and sycophants. Opposition Leader, Brig. Granger in a his usual scholastic style exposed the budget as one that failed to provide adequate resources for security, education, and health and indicated that the APNU would spare no effort to ensure that much more funds are made available to those sectors.
So contrary to what the Government is peddling to workers, the opposition wants an end to the rape and plunder of the state treasury, much more pay for workers, and job creation. The PPP regime, afraid of the imminent stoppage of the “disappearance” of funds, has resorted to lying to workers that if there were budget cuts there would be loss of jobs. Government Ministers Robeson Benn, Anil Nandalall, Irfaan Alli, and Ganga Persaud were there ensuring that their workers turned up to picket. So too were Office of the President functionaries Gail Texeira, Kwame McKoy, Odinga Lumumba, and Juan Edgehill.
I wonder if Ms Texeira has no shame. She was there in the trenches fighting the “PNC dictatorship” pre-1992, and there she was in 2012, standing with Minister Robeson Benn and former PNC thug Odinga Lumumba telling the police to remove a handful of APNU supporters from the area, when in fact the “PNC dictatorship” permitted the PPP to protest in front of parliament. The Jagans must be “tsunami -ing” tears at what their party has become.
Malcolm Harripaul

Latest News

The opposition wants an end to the rape and plunder of the state treasury

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 28th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Yarrowkabra smashes four in Tutorial, as Dolphin, Waramuri Sec’...

Ramesh Chattergoon smacks 110* in ESCL T20,...

Minister Vickram Bharrat to sponsor cricket...

Botafago whip Hi Stars 6-4, Silver Shattas humble...

Cricket Zone USA signs Motie as E4 Brand...

Abram Zuil Secondary among winners in Region2...

Features/Columnists

The PPP is afraid

The U.S. “Joining” the Commonwealth: an unreasonable expectation

PPP thugs and hooligans -Part II

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

The opposition wants an end to the rape and plunder of the state treasury

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| March, 28th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]