MPs rebuke the PPP for threatening to undo the nation’s gains

Nov 05, 2017 AFC Column, Features / Columnists

---

A group of relatives were gathered in the living room of the Copelands’ house in Alberttown, Georgetown all watching the television coverage of the ruckus in front of our venerable house of Parliament this past Thursday. People were protesting on Brickdam as is their right, but they continuously shouted obscenities. It was crude, and Mrs. Copeland covered her grandson’s ears. She preferred that he didn’t hear (or see) grown-ups, half of our leaders all dressed up in suits, behaving worse than the Camp St. prisoners he saw last July when they set fire to the prison.
Her daughter Allison, a 24-year old trainee teacher, stood rooted there with both hands cupping her face, brows raised, mouth slightly open in disbelief. Parliament was in session and everyone was waiting for H.E. President David Granger to take the podium.
Every Minister of Government was there as were members of the Diplomatic Corps, some of Guyana’s High Commissioners and Ambassadors to the same countries whose envoys to Guyana were present. H.E. President Granger took the podium and Mrs. Copeland’s household took some seats and the floor in front of the TV to watch as the heckling and shouting from the Opposition benches increased. Placards appeared, held high and the Copeland family saw a close-up of Bharrat Jagdeo holding a placard, looking mighty pleased with himself. He was smiling, but we cannot print the family’s descriptive comments.
Allison, the Teacher-in-training, asked her Uncle Kenneth, “but … but is this normal? In Parliament … can they do that?” He just shook his head and silence reigned. The family’s response was the same at the end of the President’s barely audible speech. They were ashamed. Nearly every head was bowed, eyes looking to the floor.
Mrs. Copeland found her voice and very quietly said, “No, no, no. We can’t go back to this embarrassment. We had long years of listening and watching that man and he people curse everybody, ‘buse out everybody, even the overseas diplomats. We were so shamed, and we couldn’t say a word in case he take away the little we had. Nah, we are not going back there. (Guyanese) people deserve to be proud. We get back that ‘proudness’ now, so we can’t let these (PPP) people take it away”. She was shaking her head vigorously from side to side.
A short while later her teenaged son, Jameel, found a clip online, put his laptop computer on the tall centre table and turned up the volume. Minister Cathy Hughes was saying: “We had the highest (level) dignitaries sitting there … Is this the way Guyana wants to present itself? Is that the best we could be on such an important occasion as the opening of a session of Parliament?”
Then Minister Sydney Allicock opined: “I think the time has come, if we’re truly interested in the development of Guyana and the unification of the nation, for us to put all our efforts into building the confidence of our people. At the very least, the Opposition should have listened to the President instead of behaving with what I call “Gutter Politics”.
Minister Simona Broomes came next: “I feel embarrassed for them. I know the PPP is a wild bunch, but to come here and demonstrate that level of wildness … I have been exposed to their behaviours and culture (and even I was shocked). They should have done better for themselves”.
Minister Annette Ferguson had her turn at the microphone in the corridors outside the Parliamentary chamber: “We didn’t expect better from them. This is the nature of these people. The President came here today to set the tone (for this session of parliamentary deliberations, to talk about) what the Government has been doing, our projections and measures (for future programmes) to come. The (awful) behaviour of the Opposition speaks volumes. We are leaders in this great land, but do we expect our young people to pattern their behaviour after this? (What happened here today just sends) a distasteful message”.
Minister Dawn Hastings added, “I was saddened; I was as embarrassed as my colleagues when I saw what was coming from Parliamentarians who really should be role models for the young generations, and for our young parliamentarians. It saddened me as a leader, as a teacher. (This can’t be) what our Guyanese children expect of us. Would they be motivated to become Parliamentarians? I don’t think so”.
The last to speak on that clip was young MP, Jermaine Figueira of Linden. He said, “This was uncalled for. It sends a bad message to the international community (some of whom were present) that we have a very irresponsible Opposition. They (PPP) obviously do not understand that they are also responsible for helping to craft the laws that guide this country. Their behavior showed disrespect to our President who, as everyone knows, is doing a good job serving this nation”.
Everyone in the Copelands’ living room remained silent, but they all straightened up one by one from the positions that all had taken – heads resting on palms, eyes focused on the laptop’s screen. The shaking heads began to nod.
Uncle Kenneth, Mrs. Copeland’s brother-in-law, broke the silence with: “Well, but what will stop them from doing it again at the next (session of) Parliament! Is really the pappy show he love. He don’t feel good unless he get attention, even if he getting criticized he don’t care. Attention is attention for that man, and he gon squeeze out every ounce of reporting, every picture in the newspapers and he voice on the radio until people get really fed up. We are in for a ride”.
That’s when young Allison crowned it all with, “But Budget Day is not this month? God help us!”

---

---