– Some opposition leaders are prostituting credibility in pursuit of power
THE absolute balderdash served up in the opposition media and by letter-writers and others in support of opposition parties, as well as opposition leaders themselves who tell barefaced lies in efforts to reconstruct history and restructure facts – all with a sanctimonious demeanour – and in local parlance they would be called bare-faced liars, often leaves one gasping in disbelief.
No return to Empty Rice Pots (ERP)
What also flummoxes those who know the truth is the fact that, despite unlimited evidence to the contrary, some persons who lived through the times of terror, deprivation and starvation and were even victims of the system, support the hypocrites who promise them the sun, the moon and stars when they get rid of the PPP/C administration, in spite of knowing that these very persons had only delivered destruction, chaos, and empty rice pots (ERP) when they ran the country.
And Carl Greenidge of all people:  For him to be pronouncing on Guyana’s economy and corruption when he should be hiding his head in shame for presiding over the destruction of this nation’s economy which he admitted to in his budget presentations, is an abomination.
This same line of argument could be applied to David Granger’s prognostications and high-sounding rhetoric anent security in the land.
It is said that if someone tells a lie often enough it will eventually assume proportions of the truth; and the collective opposition incessantly, in a continuum – one upon another, heap lie, upon lie, upon lie on a mountainous dung-heap of filth, like that presided over by Hammie Green, in efforts to distort historical facts and skew them to make themselves look good and the PPP/C administration look bad.
It is mind-boggling that there are supposedly intelligent, even God-fearing persons – who know the truth and actualities; but because of varying prejudices would rather see Guyana placed once more into the hands of those who continually incite racism between the Guyanese people, uncaring whether they once again cause internecine war in the land in their quest for power and riches, which makes no-one the winner but themselves; and who had once pauperized this country and plunged it to the bottom of the graph in the developmental indices, lower than even Haiti, which had made the average Guyanese to be labelled as beggars and caused this nation to be perceived as a pariah in the sight of the world. 
Jonestown put the final lid on this nation’s coffin, along with the coffins of all the innocents that PNC-sponsored Jim Jones had murdered.
Certainly, the average Guyanese is left all the poorer when they begin their forays and ‘pogroms’ against each other, while the instigators sit comfortably in their air-conditioned homes, drive in their luxurious cars, with themselves and families well-protected from the violence they continually unleash in the nation.  
When the first Jagan-led government was forced out of office there was money in the treasury and accelerating development in every sector.  However, the present generation generally has no knowledge of the destruction, suppression, and the complete hell the PNC administration subsequently made of this country – and the subjugation and marginalization they vested upon the Guyanese people – race, religion, creed regardless. So President Bharrat Jagdeo is right in urging the youths of the nation to learn about their history – the real truths, before they mistakenly destroy the future of their generation, and future generations in the years to come.
Electoral Violin
There would never again be a Dr. Cheddi  Jagan to fight for another twenty-eight years to free this nation from the wolverine PNC – whether clothed in sheep’s clothing as APNU, or whatever, and if the young electorate makes wrong choices and by some evil fluke the PNC ever returns to power in this land, Guyana and Guyanese would be forever doomed, because it is the same players who are manipulating the strings of the electoral violin.
It is the PPP/C administration that restored accountability for public funds through re-introduction of the Auditor-General’s reports, the parliamentary oversight bodies, the Integrity Commission, an open bidding system for contracts that is open to public scrutiny, stakeholders’ input and oversight in practically all national development projects and programmes, et al.
Granted, the developmental configurations in Guyana are still works in progress, and prone to man-made errors. Granted also is the fact that in the human condition there is bound to be thefts and corruption – no government in the world can completely eliminate this, despite high-sounding promises by those in the opposition whose own lives and past activities cannot stand up to scrutiny.
However, as the incidences emerge, the government seeks to put checks and balances in place.
The beam in their eyes is blinding the opposition to truths
The hypocrisy of the PNC is that, because of the hardships they imposed upon the nation, the once-honest Guyanese people had been forced to resort to trickery and bribery to survive, until this behavioural mode became endemic and a way of life for Guyanese; who devised innovative ways to beat the imposed strictures – to the extent where some even became millionaires. And Glenn Lall, Christopher Ram and CN Sharma know well the routes they took to achieve their millions, yet today they seek to pontificate on the behaviour of others and abrogate to themselves the right to call other businessmen corrupt in a litany of lies and distortion of facts that would shock even the devil.
The Biblical adage of taking the beam out of one’s eye before attempting to remove the mote out of the eye of another certainly applies in these instances.
Glenn Lall is being profit-driven in trying to destroy entrepreneurial rivals with his so-called ‘exposes’; and he allegedly receives advertisements galore from those businessmen whose rivals he destroys, while his editor Adam Harris is an unapologetic PNC propagandist who once ran the PNC organ – the New Nation. Both Ram and Sharma have aspirations to become president of Guyana.
Unscrupulous businessmen also give hefty bribes to equally dishonest reporters in opposition media houses to create red herrings and throw enough mud on the operations of their rivals so that the operations of the victims are stymied, especially if the victims are working on projects in collaboration with government; forcing both parties into defence modes to protect their credibility, which is invariably tarnished by the volumes of mud thrown upon them.
One columnist who continually berate government functionaries because he was not given a position he thought he deserved and duty-free concessions in a timely manner complained constantly until businessmen built him a luxury house in an upscale locality providing he continues his obnoxious tirades against their perceived enemies.
Of pimps, prostitutes, wife-abusers and opportunists
Some members of a defunct political party have diverted their energies and efforts to pimping some opposition leaders who are prostituting their credibility in their pursuit of power; but their own credibility and history cannot bear scrutiny.
One pimp advocating support for an opposition party, named Singh, who has been accused of fraud and soliciting bribes by established businessmen who identified themselves and publicly detailed instances and amounts involved, used to beat his wife black and blue, even breaking her limbs, until a once extremely popular young professional woman had to flee for her life.  He hates President Jagdeo with a passion because he was not given a position of power in the current administration.
Another pimp, who was recently exposed as a blatant liar, is also on record for having been fired by then Finance Minister Bharrat Jagdeo, also for fraud and soliciting bribe while he worked in the GRA.  Today, he attempts to denigrate the President in every possible way, even by lying outright.
Rupert Roopnarine, who always criticized Dr. Cheddi Jagan, is attempting to woo the good doctor’s supporters by pretending to have been his admirer.  He also launched a scathing attack on Housing Minister Irfaan Alli on the basis of his religion.
The real racists
Khemraj Ramjattan accepted money to represent one Prakash Persaud, brother of Justice Prem Persaud in court in a fraud charge he had brought against Sheila Chapman, the mother of AFC co-leader Raphael Trotman, but never did, causing that gentleman to lose his case.
Suddenly, he is representing persons accused of serious crimes, such as murder, against some ill-advised policemen who tortured the accused, as well as persons who are against Indians getting employment in the country of their birth, despite their qualifications and suitability.
He then goes to PPP/C supporters in the rice and sugar industries and tells them that the PPP/C government is sidelining Indians, pretending to have their welfare at heart.
The opposition collective, in their perennial attempts to woo their ‘kith and kin’, constantly and relentlessly peddles the myth of discrimination and marginalization of Guyanese of African descent, when the facts and statistics prove otherwise.
Instead, if one is to use the staffing in the public and joint services, then one can argue that the opposite holds true because Indians, Chinese and Portuguese in Guyana have largely had to make their own way and create their own employment opportunities in Guyana. 
And every time a member of these truly marginalized races gets employment or any concession from the government, no matter how highly-qualified they are, there is a great outcry from the real racists.
On the distaff side, while opposition elements complain about government discriminating against peoples of African descent, whenever government appoints an African Guyanese to high office, the opposition calls the appointee ‘house-boy’ and other derogatory names.
Recently, ACDA head Eric Phillips had occasion to castigate one letter-writer for offensive remarks he made, criticizing that organization for partnering with government to chart paths that would empower its young members and enable its cultural endeavours, especially in view of the fact that such a partnership would enhance cultural unity and community development in the country.
Every forward-thinking black visionary in the country, who accepts the reality that the black identity resides, like every other race in Guyana, in a multicultural mosaic of nationhood; and that collaborative partnerships are essential to strengthen and sustain each cultural heritage within that tapestry of plurality, and within the family of humanity, is always pilloried by those who prefer to have Guyana remain a nation divided among itself – to the detriment of all, with no-one being a winner.
Not everyone could be a Nelson Mandela; but surely commonsense dictates, as an imperative, peaceful co-existence, equitable opportunities and mutual respect if Guyana and Guyanese are to optimally progress to the zenith of everyone’s potential.  What sense does it make to destroy and hold grudges against each other when everyone can work, singly and collectively toward the common good?
One’s loyalty lies to one’s own conscience, and those to whom one can facilitate and empower toward enhanced lives; not hate-mongers and those seeking power by whatever means possible.
A caring PNC is a myth
The myth that PNC leaders cared for their supporters can easily be debunked, because the facts are there for those who want to see.
If one wants to be reminded of the detailed planning of which Burnham was capable, and his boundless hedonism and profligacy, then a visit to Lake Mainstay is an imperative because he created out of a veritable jungle the ideal holiday home for himself and his associates.  He was still in the process of construction of that phenomenal holiday complex – which was a lengthy process because he paid great attention to detail, when he suddenly and unexpectedly took ill and died.
He was creating this multi-million-dollar (in US terms) resort complex, solely for the benefit of himself and elitist associates while the average Guyanese was lining up for miles at Knowledge Sharing Institute (KSI) outlets, merely for a pint of kerosene or cooking oil, or any basic commodity essential for human survival, all of which were either banned, or unavailable, except for Burnham and his elitist associates.
Hoyte’s much-touted Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) was an IMF conditionality forced upon him by the IMF when the PNC sought funding after they had wrecked this country in every way imaginable.
He was forced to concede to open up the press, open importation of banned items, re-establish a capitalist system in the country, agree to free and fair elections, and create a mechanism that would restore the nation’s economy on a solid footing before he could access any additional funding from International Funding Agencies.
Thus was the ERP conceptualized. But the resultant, punitive repercussions on the Guyanese public superseded any that Burnham had imposed. Added to the angst of the people was the freezing of Public Servants’ wages at $2,000; as well as the bargaining power of trade unions, which had already been severely restricted under Burnham.
One senior trade unionist was reported to have been taken in a plane and threatened with being dropped into the Demerara River if he did not accede to Burnham’s wishes, which he was allegedly forced to do; until Dr. Cheddi Jagan, upon assumption of office in 1992 told the IMF to shove their conditionalities, unfroze Public Service wages, and restored bargaining power to trade unions.
So President Jagdeo’s advice to the youths to research their past is full of merit, unless they want a repeat of the consequences of a PNC, or a PNC coalition in Government.

*** PULL QUOTE:
The opposition collective, in their perennial attempts to woo their ‘kith and kin’, constantly and relentlessly peddles the myth of discrimination and marginalization of Guyanese of African descent, when the facts and statistics prove otherwise.

*** PULL QUOTE:
It is said that if someone tells a lie often enough it will eventually assume proportions of the truth; and the collective opposition incessantly, in a continuum – one upon another, heap lie, upon lie, upon lie on a mountainous dung-heap of filth, like that presided over by Hammie Green, in efforts to distort historical facts and skew them to make themselves look good and the PPP/C administration look bad.