S.O.S.– OPPOSITION LEADERSHIP IS IN CRISIS AND IS SINKING VERY FAST
Old Kai has been enthralled at the recent visits by the APNU leadership into areas known to be strongholds of the ruling People’s Progressive Party. Last week they were in Port Mourant and this week we are informed they visited Lusignan and Mon Repos, and we are told that the reason for these visits is to spread their propaganda on Local Government elections and the Anti-Money Laundering bill.I am wondering if during these visits, APNU also related to these villagers that it was they and the AFC who teamed up to cut over $500M in funding for the hosting of Local Government Elections in the 2013 budget. The PPP/C Government placed the funding in the budget; why if the Opposition were really serious about hosting these elections did they use their combined majority of one in the National Assembly to deny GECOM the ability to complete its preparation.
What this does is to further reinforce to Guyanese that the Opposition leadership cannot be trusted, especially when they go about in a bare-faced fashion to mislead citizens, unconcerned if they are exposed. This is indeed a strong signal that there is a leadership crisis within the Opposition camp. Old Kai would not have been surprised had Granger warned these residents during his visits that if they did not listen to APNU, they will feel the consequences as he did to State media personnel a few days ago.
Let’s not get carried away however, because the reality is that these visits were designed to distract from the increasing pressure APNU, and by extension AFC, has found itself in. Mr. Granger’s lack of effective leadership ability, other than commanding people to do his bidding or face his wrath, does not belong in a democratic society. He apparently feels he is still living in the 1970’s and 80’s, under the dictatorship of which he was an integral member.
These visits suddenly commenced the moment the members of the Commission of Inquiry into the death of Dr. Walter Rodney were announced. All this erratic behavior of the APNU and Mr. Granger specifically coincided with this event. Why? Well, Old Kai is wondering if the Opposition Leader will go before the Commission and give his testimony as it will be very crucial.
You see, most Guyanese are aware that Granger was close to the Dictator Forbes Burnham and in fact was directly planted in the military to politically indoctrinate and de-professionalize this arm of the state.
However, what many are not aware of is that Granger was made a Commander of the GDF just a few months prior to the assassination of Dr. Rodney. We all know that it was a GDF sergeant who reportedly gave Walter Rodney a ‘walkie-talkie’, as it was known then, which, unknown to the late political leader of the WPA, contained an explosive that went off.
A great many people were astonished at the abrasive reaction by the APNU leadership after the Commission of Inquiry was announced, as prior to this, they have always been lukewarm about such a Commission.
But to viciously attack even the individuals who are the Commissioners has raised several eyebrows, for no sooner had the CoI materialized, than they found all manner of excuses not to participate in the proceedings.
Why are they so scared of the CoI? Does Mr. Granger have something to hide or are they anticipating some explosive revelations which may have serious repercussions?
Whatever it is, this nation finally deserves some closure on Dr. Walter Rodney’s death. But then again, maybe these two events could be linked. This sudden desperation by the APNU to hold Local Government Elections at any and all cost, and an all-out attack on the Rodney CoI could be related. It appears APNU wants to have this election before Guyanese begin to testify before the Commission as those damning revelations may serve to see Mr. Granger continuing to lose public support as indicated by a recent independent opinion poll.
In this desperation, they even used their Parliamentary majority over the PPP/C to pass a bill which clashes with our Constitution and for which President Donald Ramotar cannot sign into law. This has quite rightly been sent back to the National Assembly for the requisite correction. But don’t expect the APNU to talk about this on their misinformation campaign in villages across Guyana.
Instead, they need to prop up David Granger as much as possible and give him his medication to guard against anxiety attack which usually occurs the moment he hears or reads about the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry. Hesitancy to give evidence, threatening public servants, holding the business community hostage, denying citizens, including your own support base, infrastructure programmes by cutting the budget, threatening to not recognize High Court rulings, all add up to the drop in public support recorded which translates to failed leadership.