I sat distressed and disgusted in Parliament last Thursday night (April 10, 2014) as the AFC and APNU disapproved and cut out from the National Budget about $9.3B allocated for some very significant development in our country-development that would benefit citizens everywhere in Guyana.The cuts targeted Guyanese in very sensitive areas, areas that would contribute to better lives for all. I believe APNU and AFC betrayed the people of Guyana once again by these cuts. It underlined the truth behind their intentions – they intend to suffocate Guyana’s development as much as they can and they intend to do so by directly affecting the lives of people. But I believe they disgraced themselves as representatives of the people. Quite simply, they took great delight in voting against the interest of the people and against our country.
APNU and AFC cut the total allocations for the following:
*Specialty Hospital – $910M
*Upgrading of Regional and District Hospitals, including Port Kaituma, Kwakwani, Linden, Bartica, Eye Surgery Operating Room at Linden etc. – $360M
*Ambulances, ATVs and Boats – $42M
*Surgical Equipment and Instruments – $32M
*Amerindian Development Fund – $1.1B
*Other Amerindian Programs, such as ATVs, Tractors etc. – $40M
*?Cheddi Jagan International Airport – $6.6B
*Civil Aviation – $50M
*Hinterland Airstrips – $185M

In addition, APNU also voted against a number of important roads and highways, such as the Linden Highway, the Corentyne River Bridge, the West Demerara Highways, etc. The total cost of these highways and bridges amounted to more than $13B. On this occasion, AFC abstained from voting. On this occasion, they knew that this was the wrong thing to do, but did not have the guts to stand against the wicked actions of their partners in misery.
But the PPP/C’s 32 votes stood firm against the 26 votes of APNU preserve these projects of roads and bridges in all ten geographic regions. Yet, we would have been appreciative of the support from the AFC. They stood silently and left the PPP/C to fight on behalf of our people and country. But the PPP/C, whether alone or with the support of others, will always stand in absolute solidarity with our people.
Had APNU had its way, the total cuts would have been more than $23B. But as hard as we fought, APNU and AFC joined to cut $9.3B from the budget.
But the PPP/C stood firm with the people of Guyana. We stand for development and we will continue to invest in people and in the projects that make their lives better. We will seek to find ways to ensure that these programmes are implemented. We will not abandon our people.
While the cuts represent a major barrier in our efforts to improve the lives of our people and the development of our country, the PPP/C will not be deterred in our pursuit of a better Guyana and better lives for all of our people.
I am particularly angry at both the AFC and APNU for trying to suffocate the development of our country by abusing the mandate of parliamentarians. They demonstrated in no uncertain terms that they do not deserve the title of parliamentarian. Parliamentarians must work for people; not against people.
In voting against development, as they did yesterday, they abdicated their responsibility to act in the interest of the people of Guyana. Cutting Budget, particularly programmes like hospitals and the Amerindian Fund, is not only morally wrong, but it exposes them as power-hungry politicians who do not care for the people and for our country.
The vote against $9B is a vote against people and our country. Yet, they openly gloated and celebrated their “victory” in blocking $9.3B and voting against the Amerindian Development Fund, the Specialty Hospital, the Cheddi Jagan International Airport Expansion, the Eye Surgery Operating Room at Linden etc. But it was not a “victory”; it was a shameless assault on our people’s welfare and our country’s development.
Voting against the Amerindian Fund is a betrayal of our indigenous sisters and brothers
Cutting $1.1B from Amerindian Development Fund, the $910M from the Specialty Hospital, the $6.3B from the CJIA Expansion and monies for construction of an Eye Surgery Operating Room at Linden, is a clear indication of levels the Opposition APNU/AFC is willing to go in order to hold the country at ransom.
APNU in its 2011 Manifesto spoke of hinterland development being a top priority to the party and they claimed that “indigenous communities remain a disadvantaged zone”. The Amerindian Fund is a budgetary fund that responded to the recommendations of over 200 Amerindian leaders who identified these activities at the 2013 National Toshoa’s Council Meeting as important and necessary for the development of Amerindian communities and Amerindian people. But given a chance to demonstrate their commitment to Amerindian people’s interest, APNU and AFC chose to betray them.
The Amerindian Development Fund has in the past seen Amerindians receiving benefits through a number of areas including equipment, rehabilitation of community huts, benabs, acquisition of solar power, computer systems and the construction of dorms and hostels. The 2014 Budget Amerindian Fund sought to continue such development and now APNU and AFC have voted against these development programmes for our Amerindian sisters and brothers.
APNU also in its Manifesto spoke of its commitment to support a development strategy towards indigenous development and inhabitants. I ask today, where is that commitment and generosity? But the people will be the judge.
Throughout the 2014 Budget debate, APNU and AFC have criticised the government for not improving hinterland airstrips. Yet last year they voted out monies for the airstrips. Again in 2014, they have voted against the airstrips. This is barefaced and shameless pretense of caring, while ghoulishly brandishing the dreaded scissors.
Is this putting hinterland and Amerindian development as top priority? I say shame on you AFC and APNU. I am convinced that the PPP/C government by budgeting for the Amerindian Fund has continued its strong commitment to the Amerindian people. APNU and AFC have again betrayed our Amerindian sisters and brothers by using the dispensation of the scissors.
The people of this nation must be the judge. For two consecutive years, the Opposition parties, APNU and AFC have cut the Amerindian Development Fund, despite detailed and rational explanation by the subject minister to justify spending and its necessity. APNU and AFC ignored the fact that these Amerindian Fund projects were chosen by the Amerindian leaders themselves.
Irrational behaviour such as those last Thursday night that cut the budget leaves one to ask: “was the interest of Guyana’s first people only a top priority during Elections”? Did APNU and AFC ever have the interest of Amerindians at heart? The answers are clear for all to see that the PPP/C has always kept the advancement of Amerindians on the front burner, not just at Elections time. We have demonstrated our commitment throughout the years, every time and anytime, once it is in the interest of our people.
I am glad I belong to a party that is not “fair-weather” friends of our people. I am glad I belong to a party that stands firmly all the time as friends of our people, fearlessly and fairly protecting the interests of ALL PEOPLE in Guyana.
Cutting the Specialty Hospital is cruel
How can anyone vote against the specialty hospital? This hospital would ensure all Guyanese obtain health services that they can only access overseas. Cutting the specialty hospital is gross disregard, disrespect and insult to a whole nation. We should never restrict health care services and we should celebrate any development that improves and expand health services to our people.
The Specialty Hospital seeks to ensure that the Guyanese people access catastrophic health care services and to improve equity in health care. While the wealthy can access health care overseas, the majority of Guyanese cannot access these expensive health care services abroad. The PPP/C Government is catering for these services to be accessed locally at affordable costs, bringing health equity for ALL Guyanese.
The Specialty Hospital is being built through a low interest loan from India. APNU and AFC used their scissors to cut this important social welfare public good from the budget. I note also that they cut the budget for the Eye Surgery Operating Room at Linden Hospital. This further exposes APNU and AFC as making a deliberate effort to hurt people merely as a power-hungry grab.
The vote to cut the Specialty Hospital and other health care services is cruel and inhumane and also exposes the AFC and APNU as not interested in the development of our people and our country.
Cutting the CJIA Expansion Project is a deliberate effort to derail Guyana’s development.
In regards to the CJIA Expansion, APNU and AFC displayed arrogance and an overt effort to derail Guyana’s development. We cannot seriously talk about tourism development and the overall development of our country unless we support projects such as the expansion of CJIA. Every economist and development specialist has recommended the expansion of CJIA. Yet APNU and AFC have sought to scuttle this major development project.
Conclusion
In their hunger for power, APNU and AFC do not respect anyone and they do not care who or how many people they hurt. They merely want power and the more they create chaos and under development, the more they take delight in the misery that they cause.
I call on my Guyana brothers and sisters to stand in solidarity to condemn the reprehensible actions of APNU and AFC.
Dr. LESLIE RAMSAMMY