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“Let the progress continue” – Empty slogan, shameful illusion

Feb 28, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

E-day is now just a few days away. I am inclined to think that all the paraphernalia – the flags, the banners, the T-shirts, etc., meant or achieved very little in the form of voter persuasion. I think the people who would be voting on March 2 had already made up their minds about which party they would be voting for, a long time ago. But the show (campaign) had to go on in its traditional way.
The performance or lack thereof of the Coalition after ascending to power since 2015 had inspired most of the rational, unbiased citizens who had voted for the Coalition in 2015 to wish for E-day a long time ago, to give them the marching orders as stipulated by our constitution. Truly!
The Coalition had promised much in their 2015 campaign – reduction in taxes, better prices for rice farmers, a promise not to close GuySuCo, which had moved from being an asset to a liability a long time ago, land to small miners, constitutional reform, tackling corruption etc. Expectations were high! With newly discovered oil, “the good life” banner seemed plausible.
What was the result? They signed an unusual contract with Exxon that is conducive to causing us to lose 55 billion US dollars over the next 40 years, certainly not comparable to a normal contract in the oil and gas industry.
They had broadened the tax base, vatting from diaper to medical supplies to agricultural and mining equipment, in a shrinking economy, raking in 90 billion more per year, and had the audacity to credit themselves for it, as if that sum were gleaned from thin air and not the pockets of the working class.
One ostensibly, needless statement from the president,” rice is a private sector business”, was enough to exacerbate an existing strained relationship between farmers and millers as it pertains to payment. Rice farmers were literally “cast into the Lion’s den” by the president. It heralded a decline in the rice industry.
Eighty million was spent on a COI to decide what was best for GuySuCo. The Coalition closed the major estates, putting 7000 people out of jobs, contrary to the recommendations of the COI.
The Coalition never “turned the sod” on constitutional reform which was promised to be initiated in their first 100 days plan. Instead, the president was cited for violating the Constitution on several occasions.
The public’s purse was ravaged daily by acts of corruption. The auditor general has never been so busy tracking corruption. Despite the auditor general’s warning to the Coalition of the illegality of the issuing of contracts after December 2019, they still insisted by issuing contracts in January 2020. It shows that in their penchant for corruption, they have no regard for laws and regulations.
Why should people want to return a government that has no regard for the rule of law? Having nothing of substance to remind the electorate of, they have no choice except to chant an empty slogan, “let the progress continue” and hope that the electorate will follow the illusion that they are trying to create.
Rudolph Singh

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