President Granger must work feverishly to fulfil some of the more basic and doable campaign and manifesto promises

May 12, 2019 Letters

Dear Editor

The reason Donald Trump is likely to win the 2020 elections in the USA is the same reason the PPP is likely to win the next elections in Guyana. The Coalition leaders in Guyana are approaching the PPP the very same way the Democrats are approaching Trump and the GOP. They figure that by demeaning, castigating and embarrassing their opponent, the opponent’s supporters and the swing voters will side with them. Hint, hint, it will not work!

Proof?

The 2015 elections, in both countries. Trump won, despite ALL the negativity that the Democrats piled on and highlighted about him. And in Guyana, the PPP lost by a mere one seat; despite all the claims or corruption, nepotism, murders, crime and drug associations. Why? Because people, while they are concerned about those things, they are more concerned about how well they will fair under the respective Parties. By the way, that is why the Coalition won. They convinced their core supporters that they will provide jobs and increase their wages and they simultaneously persuaded the PPP supporters that they will increase the paddy prices and heal the wounds of the ailing Sugar Industry. And just like that, the masses believed them, and they won.

But now, the Coalition seems to have forgotten their winning strategy and have assumed a ‘buse-out, cuss-down’ approach to electioneering. All you are hearing about these days is how corrupt and murderous the PPP were, while they were in Government. Can you imagine that some folks are still talking about Anil Nandalall and those law books!!! That strategy, alone, will not work!
When the Granger administration closed those sugar estates, they told the severed workers and the country that it was for economic reasons. They claimed, and I believed them, that they had ploughed some $30 billion into GUYSUCO, in three years. Well, they are not “wasting” that money anymore, so what are they doing with that $30 billion savings? The government needs to go back to those ghost towns that have grown up and explain to the people what they will do to monetize those hundreds of thousands of acres of lands, and how that will benefit those who live around the lands. The current administration has to go into those sugar areas and tell the people how a satisfactory amount of those billions in savings will be redirected to alleviate their current and immediate plight.

Telling mostly Indian sugar workers that Jagdeo and the PPP are corrupt killers, will win the Coalition no hearts and zero votes from that population.
And about rice. The government needs to reconnect with the rice farmers. Take shame out of your eyes and go sit with the men and women. Apologise for your over exaggerations about paddy prices, ask them for suggestions, and then lay out for them some short to midterm plans that are workable. If the Coalition will retain the government, they cannot be at odds with the sugar and rice farmers. The government needs to put structures in place to regain the confidence of the rice and sugar farmers.
President Granger must also work feverishly on fulfilling some of the more basic and doable campaign and manifesto promises. For instance, in 2015 President Granger promised that he will release 60 nonviolent prisoners every year. The government has been in office going on to four years. Yes, that means 240 none violent offenders should have been released and at home with their families. Instead, so far, the President has released just about 20 inmates over the last four years; most of them females. Of course, as a Criminologist and Prison Chaplain, I knew full well that the President could not have followed through with that plan; at least, not in the format that it was announced. You cannot take institutionalised men and women, and without any structured transitional programs or probation-like accountability, release them back into the society. You will be asking for trouble. The President’s heart was in the right place but his approach was out of sync with rehabilitation best practices. It appears that there were no one in his inner circle to objectively advise him on this matter. And so while admirable, that promise from the President; that noble aspiration, fell flat on its face.
I believe, however, that as is regards this desire of the President, all is not lost. Mr. Granger needs to construct, or have constructed, a formal ex-offender rehabilitation programme and have the nonviolent men transitioned from the prisons, into a programme that is headed and managed by people who know what they are doing. There are mothers, wives, husbands and children who need to have their relatives home. Mr. President you need to put a structure in place a follow through with your promise!

Another thing that the government fell down on and that is easy to remedy, is the promise of donating those Jubilee Park stands to community centres. When those stands were being built, the President promised that after the Jubilee event, they would be dismantled and given to select communities and play grounds. Again, that was an excellent idea. (The President has a very commendable approach to things that appeal to ordinary people. He has a unique humanitarian heart).

However, Jubilee came and went and the stands are left there; many of them beginning to show signs of detreating. Why? All we heard is that the President had a change of heart. I think that some of those stands – especially the ones furthest East – should be relocated to playgrounds across the country, where they can be put to active and consistent usage. Some kind of raffle or lotto-type approach can be used to determine which communities get one. The President needs to direct some department to follow through with that promise of his.

I could go on and on in suggesting simple ways in which the Coalition Government can work at winning hearts, minds and eventually, votes, but you get the picture.

I sometimes (often times) wonder, who advises the Government. It is as if Governments, particularly Guyanese governments, become blinded when they are in office. They make promises to the populace and then, not only fail do they not fulfill those promises but they make the citizens feel that we are wrong to expect them to keep their promises. It is as if some kind of mental retardation or political Alzheimer’s, possesses our leaders in Government.

And one more thing. Stop making it look like God only answers the prayers of Coalition members. There is this notion that President Granger is “God’s man” and that every other politician, is of the Devil. Many Coalition members come across like God is on their side and so to support any other Party, or to wish any other party well, is to be ungodly. To me, that needs to stop. After all, with all the prayers and fasting, the Coalition only win by one seat. My point is that we need to pray for our country. Yes, we must pray for the Government and the President (especially at this time). However, we also need to pray for the Opposition. Pray that God will put the right people in the right place, on that side, just in case they win.
Finally, the supporters of the PPP and the PNC need to both turn down their rhetoric. I read some posts and listen to some of you, and the vitriol is horrendous. We are, after all, sink or swim, One People; (From) One Nation; (With) One Destiny. If I am PPP, I am still your brother. If I am PNC, I still your fellow countryman. Why can’t we keep the discourses civil?
And as I go, let me say to the Coalition leaders that your 2020 re-election strategy needs tightening up, and if you don’t know that, it is because your cronies and lackeys are withholding the truth, or worse, lying to you.
Peace out!

Wendell Jeffrey, Pastor