Government has replaced discourse with partisan propaganda

Government has replaced discourse with partisan propaganda – Nagamootoo

Apr 17, 2014 News

Alliance For Change (AFC) Executive Member, Moses Nagamootoo, has announced that the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) which has the minority in the National Assembly has unenthusiastically suppressed the work of that body.
According to Nagamootoo, “This minority government has replaced rational discourse with partisan propaganda, and the worst that could happen is happening – the regime believes itself.”

AFC Vice Chairman Moses Nagamootoo

Nagamootoo who is a Member of Parliament, AFC Vice Chairman and Attorney at Law, explained that he has no hope that “this post-Jagan PPP Government would accept amendments or avoid electoral defeat. We have seen the contours of its arrogance emerging in almost all spheres of political behaviour.”
Nagamootoo said, “The Executive’s refusal to assent to Bills approved by this National Assembly, the restoration of allocations cut in defiance of decisions of the National Assembly, party paramountcy over the state media and state corporations; refusal to establish a Public Procurement Commission or appoint a Chairman to the Integrity Commission, or fill vacancies on Judicial and Police Service Commissions as well as refusal to hold Local Government Elections last held in 1994″ are pellucid examples of their (PPP) political arrogance.
The AFC executive added that “this PPP minority government has stultified this National Assembly, distorted the process of grassroots democracy, gifted out radio and cable spectrum to cronies and used the state media for partisan propaganda purposes.”
Those who are critical of the government, according to Nagamootoo, are “attacked and vilified. Political opponents are gagged and banned from the state airwaves and newspapers. Growingly, libel suits are used as a weapon of political struggle and intimidation by frightened state operatives.”
Nagamootoo said that while there has been growth in Guyana this growth is masked by joblessness, so while there is growth the reality is otherwise.
According to the AFC executive allocations for “Education and Health declined as a percentage of budget; Education slumped from 15.7 percent in 2009 to 13.6 percent, and Health, from 9.9 percent to 8.5 percent in 2013; serious crime increased 11 percent in spite of more dollars for security; wages remain depressed.
“Only five percent was paid to public servants from the $4.4 billion allocated for revision of wages and salaries, which we voted as a 13 percent increase; Real GDP in 2013 declined from the high 7percent between 1990 and 1997, and even from what it was in 2011.”
He explained that remittances from workers and relatives in the diaspora reduced from “US$405 million in 2011 to US$328 million in 2013; Exchange rate is sliding from G$203 to US$1 in 2012 to G$205 in 2013, and already G$207 in 2014.”
Nagamootoo said that the “overall balance of payment deficit stands at US$119.5 million; Current account deficit increased from US$366.7 million to US$425.3 million; Overall fiscal deficit of $27 billion in 2012 worsened to $29.1 billion last year and projected to grow in 2014 to $32.4 billion.”
“We learned that there are three ways to get money: steal, beg or borrow. In Guyana, our prudent government has been doing all three. By restraining wages and pensions, we virtually steal from the workers and pensioners; we beg for grants; and we continue to borrow,” said Nagamootoo.
Nagamootoo explained that Government has the capacity to redeem the nation’s self esteem and integrity but that can only be achieved if prudent fiscal management of Guyana’s limited resources is achieved.
“We could rake in all revenue streams; we could demand a fair price for national assets like land, radio frequencies and mineral rights; we could combat corrupt practices that allow good monies to be squandered in poorly executed projects, or frittered away in private purses through bribery and graft, instead of brushing these under the table; we could cut down on sinecure employment for party faithful and plumb contracts for favourites as well as extravaganza, foreign trips with perks, waste and pork barrel projects,” said Nagamootoo.

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