We really need to change how we think

Feb 07, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

I tendered my resignation as a member of the Alliance For Change (AFC) and remained quiet. Unfortunately members of the AFC commenced to attack my person.
Unfortunately there is a belief that once you are part of a political movement you are owned lock stock and barrel. Independence and choice is denied.
We really need to change in how we think. There is nothing democratic about this way of thinking. I have no allegiance to any other party.
I have fought the Burnham and Hoyte’s regimes even though some of my relatives, by my sister’s marriage, were positioned to advance my career. I opposed the PPP because my conscience could not tolerate the corruption. My principles have forced me to tender my resignation from the AFC.
While not exhaustive these are some of the reasons:-
1. It failed to hold the government accountable. In the Management Committee, whenever I raised issues to hold the coalition accountable, Khemraj Ramjattan would “jump on my back” he asks me if I wanted to break up the coalition. We recall, “PM position or no coalition” while he told us “It’s what you can do for your country”.
2. Hurried huge increases for themselves while breaching their promises to workers
3. Wasteful spending. Overseas travels galore. Travelling First Class. I’m not telling them to travel on a donkey cart or sit on a peera.
4. Failure to establish the development bank to facilitate manufacturing and farming.
5. Very little job creation though it promised a tri-sectoral economy.
6. The Minister of Agriculture was a failure but they defended him.
7. The promise of accountability was breached and Khemraj Ramjattan made it clear that as Ministers there is collective responsibility and apparently collective defence. When I forced him to accept that the party could hold the government accountable, he agreed. But at the next elections they ensured that the ministers dominated the management committee and so how could it hold government responsible.
8. They promised to withdraw from the coalition if it went astray but they defended almost everything and even jumped to defend only to have the wrong doer apologise for the wrong doings.
9. With regards the removal of mandatory imprisonment for possession of marijuana they lacked the testicular fortitude to insist that the Bill presented by MP Carrington be read in parliament and so mainly our youths were/are being sent to jail.
10. The treatment of sugar workers left a lot to be desired. While the PPP did damage it, sugar was dealt with incompetently and while they knew they were going to close some factories, they did not make budgetary allocations for severance. This was callous. Also, nothing was done to alleviate the sufferings of the terminated sugar workers. The promise for land to them was breached. They made it a race issue to gain support when in fact 36% of sugar workers are Afro-Guyanese. The COI did not say close, it said privatise But even if they were going this way why close the estate before you privatise? In addition the privatization process was inefficient. If you are closing in December why set up the special unit a few months earlier. Why were there no discussion with local businesses that wanted to take over the estates.
11. The new accord gave them five minister positions so they have taken care of themselves. No demand for fulfillment of manifesto promises.
12. With Regards Moses Nagamootoo, among other things I raised with him the issue of air services using the Nand Persaud’s air strip. He said farmers complained and that it was because of security. This was nonsensical. The air strip would have brought down the cost of production.
13. Prime Minister Nagamootoo was responsible for the promise made to transform the Constitution. He failed miserably.
They would ask you to continue your support so they can continue to enjoy the good life. Sorry, but I cannot give that support.

Rajendra Bisessar

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