THE  smart  and objective thinking Guyanese, by now,  would have  realised  what is behind  the vicious   attacks  levelled  against the Marriott project, emanating from the political opposition and various  allied quarters.

Without a doubt,  such  a project, from the time of announcement, commenced wholesale attacks from the Parliamentary Opposition, particularly  the Alliance For Change (AFC) party.
Of course, the latter defended one of its major financiers’ interest, Mr Robert Badal’s Pegasus Hotel, that he is mortally afraid will cease to exist, with the coming into being of the five-star brand.
Clearly, the  opposition attacks have to be properly  understood against the background that the Marriott is a government conceived and originated project which, according to the sterile thinking of the opposite side of the political aisle, ought not to happen, citing misuse of public funds and other similar  obscenities.
But what is so unholy about any government initiating such a project? Is there any written or unwritten rule that forbids a government from such a beneficial development that is certain to enhance the socio-economic environment of a nation that it governs?
The government of Guyana has initiated other important projects, such as the Amaila Falls Hydro project, that is groundbreaking for the immense gains under  the Low Carbon Initiative that will redound to the entire nation. So why not an initiative such as a  five-star brand as the Marriott, that is sadly lacking in the nation’s hospitality sector?

But what if such a project had  an American contracting firm, with  just about the same  conditions  for building as the Chinese contractors for the Marriott; would there have been the same vicious attacks, and malicious slander against the North American giant?
Surely, there have been previous American projects executed in Guyana , with all-American staffing. One would recall Project Dawn among these. No one criticised. In fact, the intervention was lauded as  another manifestation of the on-going excellent, traditional  relations between the two States. Such programmes will always be welcomed by Guyanese.
Clearly,  all the vitriol heaped on the Marriott is from an entirely political pivot, with the unmistakable show of the  hand of big business  as  represented  by the AFC, Badal, et al.