I HAVE read a most hilarious article in the July 21st edition of the KN. The AFC is demanding an apology from President Ramotar for describing their rejection of the Hydro Electric Project in Parliament as “an act of terrorism”. This is indeed hilarious. It seems that the AFC now wants to dictate how the President must describe their disgraceful act of voting down Guyana’s single most important development project. Well, the freedom of speech enshrined in the Constitution of Guyana also applies to the President.

What is wrong with describing the Opposition’s action as “an act of terrorism”? Isn’t every one now terrified that their electricity bill would skyrocket? Isn’t every manufacturer terrified that they could become uncompetitive and may even go bankrupt if the cost of electricity is increased? Isn’t every small business terrified of a possible increase in electricity rates that could see them go under? Isn’t it true that many employees, whose continued employment hinges on their employers’ expansion are terrified of losing their jobs if planned expansion cannot take place or if business slowed down? Isn’t it true that all those University of Guyana graduates who see the Hydro Electric Project as an opportunity of obtaining highly paid jobs terrified of the prospects of losing such opportunities? The list can go on.
The point is, if it is true that the President described the Opposition’s rejection of the Hydro Electric Project an act of terrorism, it could not have been more appropriately described given the circumstances. Their act can indeed be described as an act of terrorism against the nation, including against the people of Linden who took a parasitic stand against 95% of Guyanese on the issue of energy consumption.
It is time that the Opposition, especially the AFC, stops insulting the intelligence of Guyanese.
Let’s consider some of the statements of the AFC as reported in the media.
(1) “The AFC hopes that in the future greater emphasis can be placed on developing greater levels of negotiation and compromise in the interest of Guyanese”. This is indeed an interesting statement. Can the AFC, without delay explain to the Guyanese public, without trying to insult our intelligence, how rejecting the Hydro Electric Project is in the interest of “all Guyanese” and what aspects of the project the government failed to negotiate with them? We are waiting. And since they are using the Local Government Bills as the scapegoat, they are duty bound to prove to the Guyanese public, again, without trying to insult their intelligence, how is it that the Local Government Bills suddenly became more urgent than the Hydro Electric Project, which has a window of opportunity of just one month.
(2) “Parliamentarians are elected to enable and give life to the constitution and thus are protected by the rule of law in doing their work on the people’s behalf”. It seems as though the AFC makes it their duty to reflect their hypocrisy in everything it says and does and it is becoming more and more bizarre by the day. Here they are telling us that it is their duty to enable and give life to the Constitution in defence of an act that is in direct contradiction of that very constitution. In case the leadership of the AFC, who are mostly lawyers, forgot, let me remind them of Article 40 (1), of the Constitution of Guyana, which in part, states – “Every person in Guyana is entitled to the basic right to a happy, creative and productive life, free from hunger, ignorance and want”
What will give effect to Article 40 (1) of the constitution of Guyana, is it the rejection or the realisation of the Hydro Electric Project?