The opposition seems to be shifting the goalposts on Amaila all the time

Aug 24, 2013 Letters

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Dear Editor,
The opposition parties, from all indications, are so intent on using their combined strength to derail the government’s developmental agenda that they are prepared to sacrifice the good of the country in pursuit of their narrow partisan agendas. What is even worse is the fact that positions of principle are being ignored on the altar of political expediency all in an attempt to justify the positions taken.
Take for instance the issue of the cost for electricity in Linden. The main opposition party, APNU, in discussions with the government agreed to a phased reduction in the electricity subsidy in the mining town of Linden only to renege on that agreement after it became clear that the issue was being exploited by the other opposition party, the AFC for political gains. Rather than upholding the principled position taken, it teamed up with opposition elements to create mayhem in the town which ultimately resulted in the deaths of three persons and injury to several others. A number of government buildings were destroyed in the process including a primary school and a health centre. The office of the ruling PPP/C was also destroyed in an act of political sabotage.
The position on the Amalia Fall is all the more revealing. The goal post seems to be shifting all the time. At first, the problem was that there was not enough information. That position has now been changed to that of an overarching energy policy especially in the context of hydro-power generation and how the Amalia Fall fits into an overall framework. Interestingly, no mention was ever made by APNU about this in any of its several utterances and pronouncements on the project. It is clear that the issue of an overarching energy policy has now become a fig leaf to hide the more sinister objectives of the opposition parties namely to jettison the Amalia Falls Project and for that matter the overall development thrust of the PPP/C administration.
The AFC after expressing serious reservations about the project have finally changed their position on the project and gave it their parliamentary support. This ability to be flexible and respond to national imperatives is necessary for the health of our body-politic. As it turned out however, it amounted to a case of ‘too little too late’ as the damage has already been done and from all indications there is not much that could be done to salvage the situation.
There is a saying that 90 million Frenchmen cannot be wrong. Translated in the context of our national development strategy, there is an overwhelming body of opinion which is supportive of the Amalia Project which included representatives of the business community, the Amerindian communities, the international donor community among others. In this regard, the US ambassador must be commended for drawing attention to the potential harm that could befall the country for allowing investors to walk away from big projects like Amalia Falls and the adverse impact it could have on investor confidence which is so critical in today’s highly competitive investment and business environment.
Guyana’s President Donald Ramotar could not be more correct when he said that whether a government has a parliamentary majority or not this should not affect the task of national development as there must be a genuine commitment and political will from both sides to ensure that the national
interest is placed ahead of everything else. According to President Ramotar, there is a lack of understanding of the role of Parliament vis-à-vis the other branches of government. “ I hope the Opposition will understand the role of Parliament; if they do then they can play a more constructive role in the general development of the country,” the President stated.
It would seem that the destiny of this country now resides in the hands of “a gang of five” supposedly wise men who feel sufficiently qualified to pronounce on any issue under the sun. These people behave as if they know it all and speak as though they have a national mandate to speak on behalf of the Guyanese people even though, individually and collectively they have no constituency, political or otherwise.
Guyana is blessed with men and women who are bright and committed to utilize there wisdom for the good of the country. These are people with no political axes to grind and whatever they do is done with the people in mind. They are not driven by political vendetta or grudge. These people should be applauded and honoured,
In this regard, I wish to express my sincere condolences to the bereaved family and friends of the late Doodnauth Singh, legal luminary and former Attorney General who passed away recently. He has certainly made his contribution to the nation.
May his soul rest in peace!
Hydar Ally

 

 

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