I read with great interest the statements made by Jaipaul Sharma regarding his resignation from the political union of sorts, APNU, and I am still having fits of laughter. This comedian for a politician is telling the people of Guyana that he does not want to jeopardize the voting prospects of the union so he is quietly making his exit from the partnership. That statement is so comical, possibly the joke of the century, that a man who could not get enough votes to earn a seat in parliament when he went solo in that “Justice far aaaal Party” would now suddenly gather votes in a political union with the enemy PNC. Is this the message Sharma is trying to get across to the Guyanese people?

But we would not buy that argument, not for one moment. What he is not telling the people is that it has suddenly dawned on him that he was being used and abused by his bigger political bully partners and it is high time to get out of this comedy of errors. What was going on there was a strategy crafted by the PNC to use Sharma to get the Indian vote and somehow break the stranglehold that the ruling PPP/C has on them. Therefore, a special seat was made for Sharma to attract the Indian vote and also provide free television time for the opposition; but that cunning device was detected by the man who very subtly made his exit. Sharma is saying you would not get the Indian vote on my ticket (mind you, that is really an impossibility) because no Indian in his right mind will vote for a party that preaches segregation and the ascendancy of one race above another. That is not going to happen.
His compatriots in the AFC, Ramjattan and Nagamootoo, should also take careful note that their status is the same as that of Sharma; that is, one of convenience for the PNC/APNU. Some former PPP supporters gave the AFC votes so that they could make a difference in Parliament: note my words, make a difference in Parliament. But what they see going on in the House, the joining up with the PNC has angered them. They voted a party into office to stand on their own and speak on their own, not to be a group of spineless band-waggoners who cannot think for themselves but have to rely on the ideas and imagination of their erstwhile counterparts. This is not what the people voted for; and for the record, this sort of behaviour, is bound to backfire on them come next election. So the earlier those opportunists in the AFC get that “user message”, the better, and just do the honest thing – divorce yourself from the thoughts and interests of that grouping.

My opinion on the PPP/C and their prospects in winning the next election lies in the realm of their failure to fix the things that need fixing, especially in the constituencies where they command a majority. I am not in the least fearful of the opposition and their “Big tent” strategy; that is sure to fail. What I am worried about is the PPP/C’s flippant attitude when it comes to fixing things in their strongholds. This is my chief concern and the hierarchy in the party seems oblivious to this fact. If they neglect their constituents in the way they are doing at present, then persons will withhold their votes and results will turn out to be the same as it was in the last elections.
Neil Adams