…particularly the business community

IS THE AFC seeking revenge against Guyanese, particularly the business community, because they did not heed their public pleas for financial assistance?Malcolm X was one of the persons who once said, “If you don’t stand for something you will fall for anything”. This quote fittingly describes the state of the Alliance For Change, for they seem completely clueless about what they are really about in terms of their contribution to society.

When a political party which started with so much fanfare and glitter (the collapsed stage was probably a sign of things to come) is being accused of being useless in such a short period of time by their very own supporters, then clearly all their associates and members need to rush for their life-jackets. Time to escape the sinking boat, as they are not qualified to be considered a ship!
However, just like the Concorde cruise disaster, don’t expect Captain Prak-a-Lak, his first mate Nigel, the Nightingale, and the one who didn’t part the sea, to go down like Titanic. They will be the first ones rushing for a lifeboat, leaving the others to struggle behind. A few of them had jumped from the PPP cruiser, thinking that they had done enough damage to sink it. There have been proven wrong! Now they seem to be clinging to any and everything for support to keep their heads above water.
Take for instance their position on the AML/CFT amendment bill: they never had a problem with this critical piece of legislation in its current format.
In fact, they publicly proclaimed they were ready to pass it, should President Donald Ramotar give into their blackmail of the Executive still being held accountable for public projects and their execution, but handing over all control to the Public Procurement Commission. This, according to the AFC, was their effort at ‘compromise and consensus’.
The AFC has been obsessing about controlling aspects of public procurement ever since an Indian company hired its leader, Khemraj Ramjattan to ensure it won the award of the contract to construct the specialty hospital. They have publicly attacked several projects, including the Marriott Hotel, which they have seen as posing competition to the hotel owned by a one-time financer of the party. Old Kai is not sure if the particular businessman still contributes financially to the AFC these days.
This AFC’s obsession of seeking to leverage control over certain aspects of the private sector, such as contractors and other businesses, has raised eyebrows in some circles. It has openly sought to implant its political operatives into the PPC, rather than trying to keep this body professional and away from political interference.
In the 2012 and 2013 national budgets, it promulgated and got support from APNU in cutting over 50 billion in development financing by Government. Numerous projects would have had to be contracted through public tender, but now, because of the AFC and its ally, APNU, they would now be denied. Some speculated that this was to send a message once again to particular sections of the private sector.
We can also recall their vociferous non-support for the Amaila Falls hydro project, only to learn that senior leaders of the AFC were at some point employed by the company executing the project. During this period, they suddenly changed their stance.
There is their attack on the investors of the Berbice Bridge, the Cheddi Jagan Airport expansion, etc. Why this obsession with targeting the business community/ private sector? Why this obsession with gaining some amount of influence over them?
The answer brings us right back to the AML/CFT amendment bill, as while the AFC knew all along that the Donald Ramotar Government could not possibly be in a position to give in to their preposterous demand of having the Public Procurement Commission become the de facto decision makers of the State, they maintained this position knowing that the impending consequences of a financial blacklist would severely impact the business community which had been complaining about the effects already being felt.
Why pressure the business community in such a manner?
Then at the very last minute of the latest deadline, the AFC decided to inexplicably shift from its long-standing position and adopt those by the APNU, even though they were already warned by the Financial Advisor from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force (CFATF), Roger Hernandez, that their proposals would “…make those areas that were formerly compliant, non-compliant…” and opening up Guyana to sanctions anyhow.
So the APNU and the AFC placed Guyana in such a position that, whichever decision the PPP/C Government made, our country would have still ended up being blacklisted.
How was the Government expected to compromise when it was faced with such a reality? How can anyone compromise in such a scenario, knowing that whatever decision you make, you will still end up with the same problem?
That surely does not fit into the definition of compromise, as the Opposition was essentially telling this country to jump off a cliff or be shoved off into the abyss.
The party seems to be holding a ‘grudge’ against citizens, especially the business community, because they were not as forthcoming with ‘financial support’ which even forced leaders of the AFC to publicly lament this fact.
Is this some form of retribution?
The public will have to be the judge!