The Coalition will do what is best for the people and the country

May 16, 2015 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,
Under the stewardship of former president Bharrat Jagdeo, the PPP leadership waged one of the most bitter, nasty and racial election campaigns in recent times. They thought they were going to win the election and continue to govern the nation in the same dictatorial manner as they did for the past 15 of the 23 years in power.
But it was not meant to be because the people had a different agenda; they did not want a government that rules in its own interest and not theirs. The general election results have caught everyone at Freedom House, including Jagdeo, by surprise, because of their pompousness.
Even though they have used any and every means necessary including character assassination and personal attacks on the leaders of the opposition, they quickly realized that they were no match for David Granger, Moses Nagamootoo and the rest of the coalition team. What they did not know is that while they were making plans to rule and dictate to the people, Guyana’s future was in the hands of the Almighty who decides.
As the Scripture states, “man makes plans but God decides.” The way things unfolded during the week stunned Jagdeo and the PPP, so much so that they have refused to concede and accept defeat. The people voted against the PPP not only because their policies were archaic and seemed out of place, but also because they were tired of the suffering and discrimination. So instead of becoming the government, the once all-powerful PPP is now relegated to the opposition for the next five years or perhaps more.
Many, including some of their own supporters, believe that the PPP has caused its own defeat because of its stubborn and high-handed approach to governance. After becoming a minority government in 2011, President Ramotar governed the country as if he had a majority. Not only did he ignore the requests from the opposition to have tripartite talks, he also continued to govern in a cavalier style and in the process disrespected Parliament—the People’s House.
To make matters worse, secret contracts were awarded to relatives and friends of the ruling party’s leadership for huge kick-backs; the administration refused to establish the Procurement Commission and pawned the country’s pristine forests to foreigners without any regard to the destruction of the environment. But the straw that broke the combined opposition’s back was when the Minister of Finance illegally spent G$4.5 billion that was not approved by Parliament in 2014 and then decided to go to Parliament for approval. If this was not dictatorship, then I do not know what is? Further, Jagdeo’s fingerprints are all over this obscenity.
The opposition had pleaded with the PPP administration to stop its reckless and arrogant behaviour, but President Ramotar ignored their pleas, and instead told the nation that he would not allow the opposition to frustrate his party’s initiatives to develop the country.
The point is, the PPP only took the opposition seriously when the AFC brought the “no confidence” motion to Parliament. In order to avoid defeat of his government, President Ramotar prorogued Parliament and after a few months, called the election for May 11—a day of infamy for the PPP.
The truth is the PPP is perceived as a deeply contemptuous, inconsiderate and corrupt party. Even if most of the politicians are not individually corrupt, the perception of corruption is what matters. Frequent accusations about ministers and senior government officials involved in corruption and other wrongdoing have alienated the masses from the PPP. And the people are generally fed-up and frustrated with the PPP for its abuse of Parliament and for turning it into a rubber stamp.
The unseemly abuse of parliamentary privilege and the use of parliamentary time not to advance the nation’s business, but to indulge in party politicking and personal insults, have annoyed Guyanese.
In calling the election, the PPP/C claimed it would retain power and capture 40 of the 65 contested seats. The APNU+AFC Coalition, on the other hand, foresaw victory with 60 percent of the votes. Based on the final results, none of what has been predicted or anticipated was accurate. The reason is race has and continues to be the main factor in how people vote in Guyana. It is not very healthy and cannot continue if democracy is to survive. We are all cognizant of what took place with the elections of the 1970s and early 1980s. Was it because of racial voting?
Obviously, Guyana is not like most countries, where the electorate votes on issues ranging from economic, social, political, health care, education etc. and not on race. Racial voting also exists in Trinidad and Tobago, but it is not as overt as in Guyana. Although race voting has reached a boiling point in Guyana, it is still being practiced much more by the PPP than the APNU+AFC Coalition. In fact, in this election the Coalition had urged voters not to vote on race but on issues, and which party is better equipped and qualified to move the country forward.
An appraisal of their manifestos shows that very little separates the two main political parties ideologically, or in relation to plans to correct the dire economic situation Guyana finds itself deeply mired in.
With Guyana being the second poorest and the second most corrupt country in the Hemisphere, after Haiti, the newly-elected Coalition government is fully aware that they have to implement very strict laws to reduce corruption and develop a more strategic economic policy to shore up the rice, sugar, mining and poultry industries which are the backbone of the country’s economy. This must be done urgently in order to reduce the poverty gap, improve the well-being of the people, especially the poor and the lower-income working class, as well as to improve the nation’s standing in the region.
The silly election season has come and gone in earnest, but no one except the PPP has to wonder about who won the election. Its refusal to concede victory to the Coalition is bordering on asinine, childishness behaviour to say the least. It is nothing more than hogwash.
Now that the Coalition has won, it faces some very acute challenges. First, the parties have to stay together for the five years, come what may, if they are to be re-elected. Second, in forming the government, compromises will have to be made, egos buried and maturity reign supreme. Third, the Coalition has to differentiate itself from the PPP by being accountable and transparent to the people, unite the people and make changes to the Constitution. And last but not least, there should be no discrimination based on race, ethnicity, creed or party affiliation; all must enjoy the fruits of the country equally.
I am stuck with the confidence and certainty that the President-elect, Brigadier (retired) David Arthur Granger and the soon-to-be Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo, Khemraj Ramjattan, Joe Harmon, Raphael Trotman and Carl Greenidge, among others, will buck the PPP trend in all aspects and respect all Guyanese, treating them fairly and with dignity and pride. After all, they are decent and honourable patriots who will do what is best for the people and the country.
I strongly believe that the APNU+AFC Coalition will do what is best for the country and the people. It is time for the healing of the nation to begin.
Dr. Asquith Rose

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