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Opposition groups too vague

Dec 14, 2024 Editorial, News

Editorial…

 Kaieteur News- We at this newspaper call politics as it is.  Inevitably, politicians react angrily.  The history is there, from PPPC Government to APNU+AFC Coalition Government, when they do things right, those are recognized and commented on in this paper.  The same goes for the Working People’s Alliance (WPA).  On the other hand, when they do what is wrong for citizens, then the criticisms occur.  When there is good governance and trustworthy leadership, the risk is of newspaper presses idling.  Unfortunately, that is foreign to Guyana, which keeps us busy.  We do note, however, that the political opposition at different times have stated their position on some oil matters.  It is a healthy start that they are saying in public where they stand, but there is much more to be said.  Guyanese need to know the specifics of where political groups stand.

The leading opposition PNCR has more than once promised citizens about what it would do in ‘its first 100 days in office.’  It has also promised that ‘if it were to be returned to power’ how it would represent a stronger government than the PPPC before ExxonMobil.  If that rings a warning bell, there are good grounds for thinking so.  It was Bharrat Jagdeo, when he was in the opposition, who kicked up a storm over the 2016 ExxonMobil contract, and how much he was committed to changing it, using different words.  Look at where he is today, how spiritually weak he is, and how he is so mentally stubborn against anything that is related to changing the oil contract.  Why should any Guyanese put any faith in what the PNCR opposition, or any other opposition group, is promising today if it gets to hold the reins of national power in its hands?  There is an old saying, burnt once, twice shy, or never again falling for what politicians and their groups promise.  To be frank, that is the position of this newspaper, which should convey the lack of trust in what Guyanese political groups represent, especially when it is America’s oil supergiant, ExxonMobil, that they must confront.

A few days ago, the WPA stated its position on oil projects.  Get more ‘fiscal benefits’ from them, starting with the seventh oil project, Hammerhead, that ExxonMobil has lined up for approval.  But what exactly does the WPA mean by ‘more ‘fiscal benefits’?  It is too general and too vague, and leads Guyanese into believing that much may be meant, when that may not be so.  In other words, it’s telling Guyanese what they want to hear, but with little that makes material difference.  We have been in the forefront of calling for each new oil project to be dealt with in that manner.  The projects must be used as leverage to make ExxonMobil understand that the time for playing games is over.  We note with interest that the PNCR and AFC have both added their voices to using the pending oil projects to get more benefits for Guyana.  Guyanese cannot have all this oil, and ExxonMobil increasing production by leaps and bounds, while about 40% of citizens, at least, are crying out about how they can’t manage in a killing cost of living environment.  All this oil wealth, yet all this national poverty, brilliant statistics notwithstanding, and more oil projects coming out of ExxonMobil’s assembly line for approval.

Moreover, when the results of the Ram & McRae survey were announced, we took the lead: let there be a referendum, which must be now, and not later, as in after elections.  Is there any Guyanese who really believes that Jagdeo would call a referendum should he triumph at the polls next year?  To date, he has not said or done anything that gives Guyanese hope with their oil.  Whenever there is a development on oil that looks threatening to him, he shuts down questions and conversations.  Now the WPA is also for that referendum.  It must differentiate itself from the other political parties by specifying what it would fight for under the umbrella of renegotiation, should a referendum point in that direction.  We have been leading the way with oil, with opposition political groups following.  It should be the other way around.

(Opposition groups too vague)

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