The intellect of the opposition is different from that of the populace

Mar 20, 2013 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Sunday Stabroek, February 24, 2013, in their Grade Six Social Studies Section offered the following as the main function of the National Assembly: “The main job of this body is to make laws for peace, order and good government. The laws proposed (Bills) must be debated upon, passed in Parliament and signed by the President before they can become laws.”
So, while Mr. David Granger, so focused on sending a message to ‘the Executive’, as reported widely in the local press,  led the Opposition, without debate, to reject the Firearm (Amendment) Bill, what message was he actually sending to ‘the Guyanese Public’ including children? Do we even exist?
‘Rohee Must Go’ seems to summarise the extent of the intellect and abilities of the combined opposition. It is certainly not a reflection of the intellect of the average Guyanese.
Did Mr. Granger himself not agree in a meeting with government officials to a hike in electricity rates for Lindeners? Who were the organisers of the protests in Linden that put citizens of this country directly in the line of fire? And more importantly, who were the instigators of the protests? Could they have been right there sitting in Parliament somewhere pretending to be angels?
If all parties contributed in some way, shape or form to the fiasco and death of people in Linden, costing lives, human suffering and taxpayer dollars why is it that Rohee alone must go? The way that I have come to see it is that the whole pack needs to go.
This is not about Mr. Clement Rohee. It is not even about concern for the citizens of Linden. This is what the PNC, PNCR and APNU think politics is all about – they must be the ones running the country and if they can’t, they will bruk it up to the extent that the international community allows them scope. Participation, compromise, engagement, collaboration and outreach – with Indian Guyanese – are not within their skill set or ambition.
And it is not necessarily a racist thing either at this point – it could easily have been a religious divide. It is just the framework within which they operate and which has the potential to offer them ‘power’ and they are without the abilities – intellectual or moral – to change the system.
The PPP Government became a minority because supporters were disenchanted with the administration. What message did Mr. David Granger send to the supporters of the PPP? Did he send them a message that he is an attractive alternative? He did the very opposite. Almost everything that the PPP is saying is correct, in my opinion, at this point.
The message coming out from the APNU’s ‘myopic’ perspective once again is that they don’t care about the PPP supporters. Their agenda is to bully or orchestrate or manipulate their way into office. Given the Guyanese/Indian experience under the PNC, supported into office by British/American covert and overt assistance (ref 1: Guyana.org US and British declassified files in British Guiana/Guyana), and the behaviour of the APNU, why would Indian supporters today even look in the direction of APNU?
With all of this ‘ínsanity’ from the APNU, they will have the gall to say to the world that PPP / Indian supporters are racists. This is deceitful, misrepresentation and, once again, unpardonable. It is time the politicians of this country be exposed as the incompetents that they are. It is time they stop projecting their failure unto the citizens of this nation. We are kicking this jumbie off our backs.
The larger message that Mr. David Granger sent to the Guyanese Public – by using antics to show ‘them’- is that the status quo of a bitter political divide continues and deepens under his leadership. We want to hear something different.
If the APNU had the skills or the inclination to unite the country and improve the living conditions of the citizens, they would be doing it.  Instead, we are offered, with a tiny majority, more lawlessness in the institution that makes laws.
Are we to expect that they will suddenly transform when they control the Executive too? No, thank you. Most of us want to support the AFC and give them a break and a chance, but they have clearly also lost their moral compass.
As a citizen of this country, growing up under conditions of bitter political violence, divide, strife and hatred, rape and murder, I part company with anyone anywhere who lead people to violence, death, sorrow and mayhem and threaten the peace and stability of this nation. Our means must be in alignment with our ends. It is the only way to build trust.
Sandra Khan

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