– while APNU holding on to its perceived racist line, and AFC primarily motivated by vengeance and hate
THE events of the last two years have shown clearly that a Joint Government arrangement between the PPP/C, APNU and AFC is almost impossible.The most glaring is the situation with the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Bill in the National Assembly.

The Bill, as President Donald Ramotar explained, came out of an international process. It had the assurance from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF) officials that it was compliant.
This bill should have never been sent to a select committee. In any other country it would have been passed immediately and be more like a formality.

Look at the behaviour of the Government and the Opposition in Belize. The Opposition in Belize supported the Government unhesitantly to avoid damaging the welfare of its people.

The Opposition in Guyana demanded that the Bill be sent to a special select committee for them to put forward amendments. For almost a year they did no such thing.

At the very end when it was close to the deadline they introduced amendments to the principal act, which was not the subject of any issue.

The CFATF assessor pointed out that the amendments run the danger of making what is now compliant to becoming non-compliant.

Despite all of this, the Opposition keeps insisting on their amendments knowing fully well that they are exposing the country to danger and at the same time putting the well-being of Guyanese in danger.

Added to that, worse than Shylock of Shakespeare’s fame, they continued to demand their ‘pound of flesh’. They want the government to give them the unconstitutional bills and other measures.
This is a major change by APNU, a party that is on record as saying that it will not be tying the passage of the bill to anything. They were not supporting the AFC which was calling to establish the Public Procurement Commission as a condition for supporting the bill.

Now the AFC have changed, they are now supporting the APNU’S demands together with their own. The APNU has also changed its position and is supporting the AFC’s call also.
What is motivating those parties.

It appears that AFC whose leaderships consist of two defectors from the PPP is motivated by hate and vendetta. These are bitter people. They have aligned themselves with Nigel Hughes whose unethical behaviour allowed the killers of 11 people of Lusignan, 12 at Bartica and 10 at Lindo Creek to walk free. Nigel Hughes appears to be driven by strong black nationalist sentiments.

The APNU, on the other hand, has a history of practicing racial discrimination while in Government. That has always been their main line. That is why they always work to inflame black sentiments by talking about ethnic cleansing and fabrication of other issues.
Clearly the ideologies of these parties are very far apart. The PPP and PPP/C Government continue to plug for national unity, while the APNU has held on to its racist line and the AFC is primarily motivated by vengeance and hate.

A government comprising of these parties would be a real disaster for Guyana. It will be incapable of getting anything done.
Written By REBECCA CONSTANCE