IN both East and West Berbice, I discovered that a few members of my large, extended family had signed up for the PPP, some for APNU and most for the AFC, to contest the upcoming local government elections. In a previous election, someone had referred to this phenomenon as “a banana split.” But I welcomed the diversity for what would be on November 12 a family contest both from the political and social standpoints.

The split or shifts have caused some hiccups mainly for the younger Alliance For Change, which found it a challenge at the last minute to recruit replacement candidates or list supporters, or both after nominations had closed. But it nevertheless came out close to perfect in several towns and districts with full slates for both the PR and constituency lists.

THOROUGHBREDS
In my home area, Whim-Bloomfield, detractors had peddled that the AFC was dead and that they were waiting after the polls to “pull Naga’s bones in the streets.” But the people rallied and came up with a full slate and, as the horses are out of the paddock and at the starting gate, I take comfort in the words of my late father: “Thoroughbreds don’t cry; they run and die.”

I would rather feel that the contest would be a family feud, of the best persons coming forward and being chosen to manage the affairs of our towns and villages. This must be an exercise in people’s power; in participatory, grass-root democracy. There must be no tolerance for personality attacks.

Yesterday, I read statements from a number of candidates from parties, civic bodies and among independents. They all want better leadership for their communities. They all want better infrastructures and social amenities. So, theoretically, they are all electable, with only this caveat: voters ought to throw out the leaders who failed ttheir communities; who did nothing for the people.

They should elect fresh blood among those who are fit and proper to hold public office. And there are many from whom to choose. I will revisit this issue later.

FRIENDSHIP ON THE HORIZON
Whilst this interesting family feud looms, there is also friendship on the horizon with the visit to Guyana of State Councillor and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi. It was a whirlwind visit, literally crammed into a few hours and ranked as shuttle diplomacy, since the Chinese Foreign Minister is en route to the United Nations General Assembly sessions. But the visit by the affable Wang Yi was a giant step between two friends along the exciting Belt and Road Initiative that could bring immense benefits to our peoples.

The groundwork was laid yesterday when the visiting dignitary met with our Vice-President and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Carl Greenidge, to review areas of bilateral cooperation; some of these were later concretised at State House when Mr. Yi was received by President David Granger.

ORCHESTRATED CAMPAIGN
We are not unaware that, at this time when Guyana looks forward to receiving more non-refundable grant-aid, material assistance and investment profiles, there is an orchestrated campaign in the so-called non-government media to discredit the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Self-righteous monologues on China’s “neo-colonialist” ambitions in Africa have been simulated and circulated without context, scrutiny or analysis on broadsheets and social media, without a let-up.

In so far as Guyana is concerned, our national policy is clear: we will not sell out to any nation, nor surrender, as President Granger nicely put it, our “family treasure.” And as I noted in a previous column, we have reached a new turning point in the all-round relations between Guyana and China.

When we inked the new Memorandum of Understanding, under what was described as the Belt and Road Initiative, Cui Jianchun, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China, described the event as an “historic turning point.” Additionally, he confidently assured that “Guyana has a great future.”

BUSINESS PROFILE
The framework of the “Belt and Road Initiative” provides some US$50 billion in development (grant/aid) projects, and a five-year Chinese business profile that is translated into US$8 trillion in imports; $750 billion in investment abroad; and 700 million outbound Chinese tourists. There is nothing “neo-colonialist” about this package, if only sovereign states could exercise the requisite due diligence and care in accessing it with no strings attached.

On the other side of the coin, we see opportunities for countries such as Guyana to enter the Chinese market, which is demanding products such as rice, wood, fish, shrimp, sugar, bauxite, coconut as oil and water, and assorted fruits and vegetables. With some 1.4 billion people, there is no doubt that China could buy all of our rum and, of course, all of our gold!
For the Guyana private sector which is now showcasing its products at the Guyana Trade and Investment Exhibition (GUYTIE), the sky is the limit. From a business angle, there should be nothing wrong, even if all roads are leading to China. We don’t have to go down the road that other countries took; and we certainly need to dodge the potholes that have stigmatised a few states. We are certainly young; but we have to be strong.

TRANSFORMATIVE PROJECTS
With China reaching the status of a highly developed, prosperous state, Guyana could pursue some of the available transformative projects that could make us both green and great. These would include a modern airport and multiple-lane highways on the coast (now being completed); financing support in private-public partnership arrangements for bridges across our rivers; a Lethem-Linden-Georgetown highway; deep-water harbours; housing schemes and industrial parks that are self-sufficient with clean, renewable solar energy; and high-speed ICT connectivity.

As I noted: “You may say, as John Lennon sang, that I am a dreamer; that none of that would ever happen. But times have changed. Guyana is no longer a mythical story of Cinderella wooing a rich prince, or the beggar maid before King Cophetua.

“Guyana is at the cusp of harvesting first-oil, mere months away, with an untapped reservoir of black gold estimated at four billion barrels. The eyes of the world are now fixed on Guyana and we have enviable prospects for exponential development. Given the establishment of a Natural Resources Fund (our version of the Sovereign Wealth Fund), our development could be sustainable for future generations.

VISIONARY LEADERSHIP
“Today we can look back at the visionary leadership in both the Cheddi Jagan and Forbes Burnham eras, during hostile “cold war” situations, when Guyana defended its reliable and dependable friendship with the People’s Republic of China. In spite of which party had governed, Guyana maintained a “one China” policy. I am confident that this friendship would be consolidated under the coalition government of President Granger.“

We may have our family feud at home during elections, but we must also have abroad unbreakable friendships. In today’s world, friends are hard to find. We must hold on to what we’ve got, in our own interest and for our mutual benefit. © September 23, 2018