THE joint Opposition’s continuum of anti-developmental gerrymandering and deconstructive filibustering, especially during the Tenth Parliament, has had unfortunate consequences for the developmental paradigm crafted by the PPP/C Government for the upward mobility of the citizens of the land.

A popular adage, that has become a cliché’, “talk is cheap”, sums up the preponderance of verbiage that continues, like the garbage in a ‘Hammie’ Green-run city, to befoul the senses of the nation whenever the Government formulates a project that is structured to impel the socio-economic progress of Guyana and its citizens – short, medium and long term, on an upward trajectory.
They pronounce, they object, they in turn formulate strategies for stymieing every transformative project that would eventually take Guyana into an unparalleled realm of progress and prosperity; not to mention peace. And they talk, mostly in threatening language, about the negative impacts they perceive that these projects would have on the country and on the country’s economy and social development.
And the solutions that they offer? Nil, nada, none!
The grandiose schemes that they proffered in their respective manifestos seem to have degenerated into so much fluff, because one does not need to be in Government to work with people in empowerment programmes. And here respect is due to Faith Harding, whose bid for leadership of the PNC – consequently the Opposition, was thwarted by what insiders said were massive manipulations of their internal electoral systems. She did not rest on her laurels and today she can stand proudly up as a real leader who, out of the box of political power, has been empowering the vulnerable in a multiplicity of ways. She does not ‘talk the talk’, unlike her former windy party colleagues, but ‘walks the walk.’
Leadership is about empowering and uniting people and catalysing, through words and actions, positive changes in society. Sadly, however, Guyana’s joint Opposition has no qualms in appealing to ‘kith and kin’ to do subversive things in the nation, meant to incite a conflagration that would propel them, by default, into the corridors of administrative power.
That the catastrophic fallout has always diminished Guyana’s human capital, in every possible way, matters not a whit to them, because, through engagements with the media fraternity they achieve one of their primary goalposts – fame; or infamy, depending on one’s perspective.
While Government formulates strategies for job and wealth-creation within developmental constructs, the Opposition opposes on some unreasonable and inexplicable basis or another; then they grandstand in pretended concern over not enough jobs for young people, especially those graduating from the University.
They complain about the crime rate in Guyana, then blasts the Government and police when the criminals are apprehended and/or killed in the act of committed violence on the persons or citizens of the land.
They criticise the Government for micro-managing systems within administrative constructs, then blasts Government officials for not intervening in matters that should be dealt with by principal and/or the PTA.
They criticise the Government for providing institutions without the requisite quality of service delivery, then blasts Government officials when punitive actions are taken against healthcare workers who are derelict in their duties.
They criticise the Government for theft and corruption in Government institutions then organise public rallies and protest actions when punitive actions are taken against the thieves in the public service and City Hall; and the list is endless.
They cut the National Budget, which stymies and even reverses the Government’s job and wealth creational initiatives, which has in many instances resulted in many Government workers losing their jobs, and subsequently losing things, including homes and vehicles that they had acquired through hire purchase and derailing many programmes, already in train, meant to enhance the lives of individuals, communities, and the society at large.
This latest call to boycott the State Media (Chronicle, NCN and GINA) is another senseless attack on the ordinary Guyanese man, woman and child, because the resultant impacts will in many instances obliterate opportunities for employment, promotion, and even increases in wages and benefits, with all the implications on the lives and quality of lives of Guyana’s human resources; whom the joint Opposition only recognises as ‘collateral damage.’