The world has never known, seen, such stupidity in government

May 27, 2023 Letters

Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – The Democratic National Congress extends heart-felt Independence Anniversary Greetings on the observance of 57 years of Guyana’s Independence. Indeed, we also extend sincere condolences to the families and community of Mahdia which endured the loss of 19 young children, plus numerous others injured during the fire at Mahdia. Words are no comfort for the families of these lost loved ones, but the Democratic National Congress, Guyana, even the Diaspora, commiserate with grieving family members as they grapple with their grief, the impossibility of their tragic loss.

Guyana’s Independence Anniversaries have become an occasion for reflection, education, national dialogue and organizing our national, human, political resources to meeting the challenges of the ever-increasing failures of our governments to implement simple economic solutions to problems which have mired an ever increasing and now approximate 48% of Guyanese in poverty. I again share my book Bringing Guyana Into The 21st Century (https://dncgy.org/bringing-guyana-into-the-21st-century-2/) which I suggest can be used as a basis for measuring our political progress, for stimulating national dialogue as we grapple with the bottlenecks created by our failed national politics.

Indeed, we have all witnessed our elected government officials taking sides with Exxon as they hurry to reassure this company that they have Guyana conned lock, stock and barrel. The DNC again wishes to reiterate that the Exxon contract itself is basis enough for it being voided by our courts, and the sooner this is done, the better. The DNC takes this opportunity to salute our courts which have asserted themselves to reach international acclaim as countries with similar issues search for valuable references.

The unfolding of events surrounding the Exxon contract between the previous and current administrations are of such outrage that this was explained as follows in my book: “Governments around the world know that they have never seen such stupidity in government. They know the traits of inept, corrupt third world politicians selling out their country. Because there is no government which would ever agree to paying the income taxes of a multi-billion-dollar energy corporation.” Pg vii. This my fellow Guyanese, is our reality, the challenge we face as a nation.

I itemize a number of major issues without going into too much depth which the Democratic National Congress would like to see addressed as a matter of national priority:

Nationalizing the Berbice Bridge and lowering its toll charges to compare with the Demerara Harbour Bridge. This will go a far way in spurring economic activity in Berbice.
The closure of GUYSUCO coordinated with grant of a financial package to all sugar workers plus land distributed within a policy framework in which government supports the development of these lands, inclusive of the provision of sheep, goats, other animals which can go a long way to becoming a stable supply of meat not only for Guyana but the Caribbean.
$70,000/month flat adjustment for all public servants not included in the income adjustment implemented by government earlier this year.
Implementation of unemployment insurance along with substantial welfare payments to Guyana’s poor and destitute families/individuals.
Increase pensions to $112,500/mth.
Strengthening Guyana’s regulatory framework to ensure that our institutions have the legal and regulatory structure to protect Guyana from the vagaries of unscrupulous multinational corporations.

A larger more significant hurdle remains African Guyanese doing more to include Indian Guyanese in all aspects of social and economic endeavours, particularly in the civil service which has long been dominated by African Guyanese. Many traditional PNC supporters who considered that they were doing the nation a service by stigmatizing and victimizing Indian Guyanese have come around to recognizing that the PNC is nothing short of an anti-social organization intent on acquiring power in government by any means necessary. As much as traditional PNC supporters would not like this to be, the PNC’s performance in government from 2015 to 2020 combined with its efforts to return Guyana to dictatorship, a matter for which a number of its underlings are yet to be brought to justice, is finished as a political organization. Indeed, the PNC has squandered all hope of Indian Guyanese ever trusting them in office again. And so it should also be for PNC supporters too, because not one of them would have liked to have Guyana return to dictatorship as we endured during the Burnham years.

It remains for me to document the base skullduggery and subterfuge of Burnham from the early 1950’s when as chairman of the People’s Progressive Party, he sought wrest leadership and control of the PPP from Dr. Cheddi Jagan, then the Party’s leader at the time. African Guyanese for the most part need to correct the truncated notion and misconception of them being identified as children, descendants of slaves. In fact, it would do them well to recognize that they are kings and queens, princes and princesses whose ancestors ensured that they nurtured their children to the current generation. While many endure poverty even today, this is for the most part a consequence of social engineering by our governments over the decades. Especially more important is that having had ancestors who endured the abuse and indignity of the unjust discriminatory, abusive aspects of slavery, they should rise to every occasion to defend against all forms of discrimination and abuse, even as this has been encouraged by the PNC against Indian Guyanese. Indeed, for Guyana to really move forward, African Guyanese must defend Indian Guyanese from discrimination in any form that this is identified or detected. This is the surest way they can rest assured that Indian Guyanese will finally have confidence in them, that we can all live and work together, unite in politics to overcome the economic tyrants in our midst.

Once again, Happy 57th Independence Anniversary to All Guyanese.

Sincerely,
Craig Sylvester,

Democratic National Congress.