I HAVE heard, several times, the Opposition telling the Government to fulfill the campaign promise of giving rice farmers $9000 per bag of paddy, but I cannot recollect hearing such promise. What I do remember is Dr. Turhane Doerga and Mr. Jinnah Rahaman telling the public at many public meetings, at which I was in attendance, that the previous Government could have afforded to pay rice farmers nothing less than $3000 for a bag of paddy, because the Venezuela deal is working out to somewhere around $9000 a bag of paddy.
Maybe the Opposition, more specifically Jagdeo, can provide the evidence to support this claim, because I really cannot remember listening to any public speaker from the APNU+AFC saying rice farmers would get $9000 per bag of paddy.
It is my opinion that Jagdeo and his colleagues are trying to frustrate this new Government by claiming what had never happened. It is factual that rice farmers should be paid better prices for their paddy, but never did APNU+AFC say $9000.
Jagdeo, as Opposition Leader, is deliberately misleading the public for cheap political points is somewhat understandable, but as a former President, he should not lie to the public. Then again, it is my opinion that lying to the public is a genetic feature of the PPP\C.
GANESH MAHIPAUL