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They are fully aware that the current situation presents a perfect opportunity for a consolidation of the PPP/C constituency, particular given the short experiences of the APNU/AFC collaboration, determined to derail the programme of the governing party.
Should snap elections be called, it would be primarily because of the ‘silly politics’ of the opposition parties. APNU/AFC has at best demonstrated their duplicitous nature and counter-productive posturing which have serious implications for the retrogression of our democratic and national development gains. Their utmost contempt for parliamentary democracy, inclusive of its norms, practices and conventions are unforgiveable the least, particularly, because it contradicts their so-called claim about being committed to democracy.
One only has to be reminded about the APNU/AFC collaboration which sought to stymie the work of the PPP/C Government in the last session of the National Assembly, on February 16, through their rejection of legitimate expenditures contained in supplementary papers 7 and 8. Their selective rejection of expenditures associated with overtime pay for public servants, national awards for outstanding Guyanese, security equipment, among others, is sufficient evidence of their sabotage efforts. Their earlier grab of the positions of Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and majority appointment of opposition MPs to the Committee of Selection magnifies the crassness of the opposition. This kind of wild venture is reprehensible especially taking into consideration that on those occasion when the PPP/C secured an absolute majority, through its respect for parliamentary democracy, it shared with the opposition, the Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly, Chairmanship and Vice Chairmanship of Parliamentary Committees.
Guyanese voters, especially among the PPP/C constituency would not miss the opportunity to reverse the APNU/AFC one seat edge over the PPP/C if elections are called.
Given all that has taken place since the 2011 elections, Guyanese are utterly convinced that both APNU and AFC are more interested in showbiz, rather than constructive engagements to take Guyana forward. I dare APNU and AFC to defend their thwarting of national development plans, especially after their grand rhetoric about wanting to work together for the national good. It is inconceivable that the opposition would prefer to jeopardize the interest of the people of Guyana through their ‘petty’ ambitions.
The PPP/C has an excellent opportunity to emerge with a larger percentage of the votes because its track record is excellent and it has not lost the confidence of the majority of Guyanese, evident by the fact it secured the single largest percentage of votes than its competitors at the 2011 elections. This point deserves some elaboration particularly because APNU and AFC continue to misguidedly use its one-seat majority in such reckless manner.
As the rumours become constant about the snap elections option, growing fear rocks the opposition camps. It is certainly not a situation APNU and AFC are prepared to deal with much less can handle, hence such desperation on their part to diffuse any such possibility.
The fear is more about the opposition knowing it has squandered its chances too early into the game, in a matter of about two months they have shown the minds of Guyanese how well they represent double-standards. All the talk about their respect for democracy turns out to be insincere, pure rhetoric equivalent to what exists in a con man’s world.
Guyanese view as a dangerous situation, having the opposition as an alternative Government to the PPP/C, not only because of its puerile mentality in addressing matters with serious consequences for national development but more so because we have witnessed their unmatched capabilities of sabotaging and stymieing development prospects. They did this so well in the past with ‘’more fyah, slow fyah’’ in the PNCR’s proclamation to make Guyana ungovernable. We must not forget.
It is quite an irony for the same people who commanded and controlled the dogs of war against Guyanese and our nation’s development, can in its APNU configuration (a collection of same PNCR outfits) pledge loyalty and patriotism to this country. There must be some strange motive for their desperate pursuit, especially with the suddenness of David Granger, for government.
Soon after the 2011 elections we saw APNU through its youth-arm, YCT, calling for the boycott of Guyanese businesses belonging to people they perceived to be supportive of the PPP/C Government. This was a mere few weeks after they campaigned on the notion that APNU represented the interests of all Guyanese. How short their memory.
I am comforted by the fact that those who found themselves in the corridors of apathetic voters are now more convinced than ever before that APNU or the AFC will never have the majority support and mandate to lead Guyana, not after such dismal impression, their deceit, their rancor and their utter disrespect for parliamentary democracy.
AFC is absolutely clueless and inexperienced as it dabbles in politics behaving like a child with a new toy. In conjunction with its APNU collaborator, the AFC silly politics will soon make it barely survivable as there is growing consternation and fallout among its already small support. It is the AFC’s own supporters who are saying they will never forgive the leadership of that party for such reckless collaboration with APNU (the PNCR remake) which historically positioned Guyana in social and economic quagmire, as part of a range of human indignities and sufferings.
We have seen how AFC was complicit with its APNU partner in allowing Former Finance Minister, Carl Greenidge the latitude to represent them as an expert economist, someone who has the distinction of leading our country into social and economic degradation.
All together they screwed up, big time. Guyanese are wary of the tensions, confusions and confrontations created by the body politics when we deserve a much better situation, ventilating our differences but in a civil and mature manner. APNU and AFC have not contributed to a tranquil environment, instead they are being up-startish and obstructionists bent on satiating their narrow political objectives. They are on a witch-hunt mode and a lot of what they say has no connection to reality, sincerity and love for one’s country. They have perfected the art of grandstanding.
The PPP/C remains the best option for most Guyanese as one of the most progressive governments in the history of Guyana. It was the PPP/C Administration which changed the constitution to allow the opposition and civil society a more formidable stake in the affairs of our country. We ensured the constitution was changed to allow the opposition to chair the Public Accounts Committee in Parliament which reviews all government expenditures certainly on the basis of being open, accountable and transparent. If there was anything to hide I suppose there was no need for such drastic constitutional change and at a time when the PPP/C had an absolute majority in the Parliament.
We are the ones who brought back auditing of Government Ministries and Departments and tabling of the Auditor General reports, established a National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) among other serious fiduciary interventions.
It is these realities that will form the basis of any conviction of the electorate of this country just as much as they haunt the opposition. The development of our country is too serious for us to leave it up to those with ulterior motives.
