Ramjattan failed to save Guyanese $100 billion on Amaila

Aug 15, 2013 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
AFC Leader Khemraj Ramjattan had an opportunity to save the hard working Guyanese a sum of 100 billion Guyana dollars and he just blew the opportunity. This money represents excess expenditure on the proposed Amaila Hydro project, in other words this money is for the PPP boys to full their pockets with 100 billion dollars, inclusive of interest.
Instead, Guyanese will have to work their backs out for the next 20 years to repay this amount while the loot of 100 billion will be cherished by about 20 persons. There was a big party thrown by the PPP after the vote in parliament to let the 100 billion slip through. This huge sum seems to be like chicken feed to toy with in parliament. Don’t worry about the Sithe Global pullout, it’s just a trick, they will be back after getting some sympathy.
The PPP will now get everything to go full speed ahead with the project. There is no more requirement or approval from anybody including the Parliament to proceed with this barefaced theft. The parliament had their opportunity and Ramjattan just threw caution to the wind fully knowing that no one again will require his approval for anything on the project. The only lifeline has been wasted and poor Guyanese will shortly begin the suffering to repay.
I remember Ramjattan publicly spoke against the proposed increase on the debt ceiling, citing his concern on the fact that this Bill has nothing to do with the project, but in effect can facilitate more spectacular theft in the future. This argument spearheaded by Ramjattan went on for weeks and even months, but in a moment’s flash, this individual did the unthinkable and swallowed his own vomit while fooling his loyal supporters and the Guyanese public.
Ramjattan in his response indicated that he is giving a lifeline to the project and doesn’t want to quash this particular project. But this argument has no merit on the basis that the Amaila Falls will not fail to exist anymore. It will always be there for harnessing, it just cannot go away like Sithe Global.
There are hundreds of capable hydro developers worldwide who are willing to do an honest job like in so many countries. These developers can do the job for 100 billion less, so it’s best to let the current arrangement through the window. But lo and behold, Ramjattan just turned on his own argument.
One thing we all as Guyanese should learn about politicians and that is to never take what they said for granted. Tomorrow they will support their enemy and leave the public to face the wrath of destiny like what Ramjattan just did. He gave 100 reasons why the project is bad for the country but in a flash, he hoped to extract 100 billion from our pockets.
Ramjattan even turned his wrath on the Kaieteur News, labeling it as an enemy of the Amaila Project, when in fact all that the newspaper did was to bring to the public what Ramjattan and Company have been preaching for the past months. Such is the hypocritical nature of his action.
Guyanese would have wanted a new party to emerge, because the two major political parties were based solely on racial grounds, and the AFC came to the domain as that independent party. With this sellout by Ramjattan to the Government, a vacuum now exists for a new third force to cater for more independent-thinking Guyanese.
Now is the time for a third party to thrive, so I am appealing to potential party candidates to take the slack that is now created by the AFC. The AFC now shows its opportunistic mentality rather than a third force capable of conquering racism and corruption. Messrs Goolsarran, Christopher Ram, Joe Singh and others might be names to pull more supporters if they should form a party as the true third force option for independent-thinking Guyanese.
Sharmilla Tiwari

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Ramjattan failed to save Guyanese $100 billion on Amaila

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