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A Change is Gonna Come
Dear Editor,
As we move towards the countdown to historic elections, we need to reflect on the happenings in our country over the last five years of governance by the incumbent.
We find a society torn apart mainly by ethnic, economic and political issues. How we come out of the impasse will be mainly dependent on the results of the elections. The incumbent has been basing their campaigning on what they term achievements, namely, infrastructure development and a cash grant handout that was fraught with great difficulties for the recipients. To achieve the infrastructure development use was made of contractors both local and foreign. The problem is that the way things have been done there is no scope for the development of local skills. Small Business Act 2004 speaks to the award of 20% of all government procurement to small businesses. There are scores of small businesses which would have been further developed had they been recipients of the stipulated percentage.
Entire communities would have been able to see greater improvements as a result. Supporters of other political entities would have been able also to share in whatever projects were undertaken.
This country has suffered from escalating prices in the market place for common goods and services. The cost of living has continued to increase. Wages and salaries have seen small increases which do not even relate to the current rate of inflation. Great hardships have been encountered by some 50% of the population. International agencies have reported on this metric and their figure is not far removed. We need to employ measures to mitigate the situation immediately.
The manifestos of the contesting parties have been seen and examined by the public. Apart from the usual promises we find that only one party in the race has done a very comprehensive programme for the development of the country. As Guyanese we need to understand that progress and development mean different things to different persons.
A plethora of roads does not really constitute development. A US Secretary of State made some damaging remarks about one of our touted roads. The elections agency GECOM has faltered badly and we have significant doubts of the elections administration being just and fair. The recent move to change polling places on the East Coast of Demerara at the 11th hour is more than a travesty. It must not be allowed to occur. The incumbents must ubdertand that there is great disfavour with their efforts to gain unfair advantage.
This country needs urgent change and the fat cats in the administration cannot institute such change. People must be assured of a better life all round. The current struggle to make ends meet must be eliminated immediately. At 6 pm on Monday evening when polls close and the fat lady sings the winds of change must blow lustily. A change is gonna come.
Regards,
Cyril Walker
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