THE parliamentary opposition – comprising the APNU and AFC, has used its one seat majority to block subventions for GINA and the state owned NCN, and slashing allocations of Office of the President by millions of dollars, effectively putting scores of workers on the breadline resulting in suffering for their families and those that are dependent upon them.

At the same time, development in key areas such as ICT and the LCDS would be stymied.
While the move is startling it was not unexpected because, from the inception, the opposition was adamant that it will not allow passage of the allocations for the two state entities.
But if this move by the opposition is perplexing, the slashing of allocation to GECOM is even more perplexing, and begs the question of whether the intention of the opposition is to stall local government elections which was last held in 1994.
The opposition likes to paint itself as pro-worker but clearly the slashing of the budgetary allocations is anti-worker. It would be interesting to hear what is the rationale and justification for the opposition’s action. That is, if they could come up with any reasonable justification and rationale.
As it stands at the moment the only plausible explanation for the actions of the opposition is pure vindictiveness and an attempt at stalling progress. What else could it be?
Ironically, it is the same opposition which is saying it wants this country to make progress and, in this regard, it is willing to work in consonance with the government.
Even if it had proposed reasonable reductions in allocations in the case of GINA, NCN and Office of the President, that would perhaps have been more acceptable, but to wipe the entire allocation for GINA and the entire subvention for NCN is ‘heartless’ because it is putting people on the breadline.
But maybe it is a good thing that has happened, as the opposition has borne to this nation what it stands for and it is barefaced enough to let the Guyanese people know this in unambiguous manner.
When APNU earlier did not side with the AFC to block allocations to the Ministry of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, etc, it brought some hope to this nation that good sense would prevail from the opposition and that they would honour their pledge of working with the government to move this country further down the road to progress.
However, what took place earlier this week has made it pellucidly clear that the opposition would not honour that pledge but, instead, would continue with confrontational and brinksmanship politics.
What they hope to achieve in this way is anybody’s guess, but surely it would not lead to progress and development.
The opposition has certainly removed its mask, revealing its true self to the Guyanese people.
In the current situation, from all appearances, it seems that the only solution is the holding of snap elections, which should be avoided as it would incur huge financial resources that we can ill afford. But the reality is that the opposition seems bent on flexing its one-seat muscle and holds the government and people of this country to ransom when it pleases them.
Such a situation cannot be tolerated and therefore the government should give serious consideration to the holding of a snap election.