WE can no longer point to outside forces and geo-political factors as the reason for Guyana failing to realise its fabled potential, when the first line of resistance is now in the country’s own legislature.The 10th Parliament presented the nation with a tremendous opportunity to set aside past grievances and rivalries, and to move forward for the common good of all Guyanese. But that opportunity has all been but squandered to this point, as demonstrated by the blockage and delaying of transformational projects, the budget-cutting charades, and the AML/CFT legislation travesty that holds the country to ransom.
Both the AFC and APNU shoulder much responsibility for the debacle. The AFC, however, has been the cause of greater disillusionment. Their actions since the 2011 election bear little resemblance to the hopeful rhetoric before the election.

QUOTE: Compare the huge commitment and enormous work effort that goes into crafting the budget, to the AFC walk out which requires no work at all. The AFC’s action is not only a betrayal of its constituents – their action is an affront to all taxpayers who pay their salaries.

The party positioned itself as the third moderating force that would bridge the gap between two intractable giants. They reached out, promising to take on the key role of encouraging racial harmony and building trust. They were going to help build confidence, harmony, cooperation, economic prosperity, democracy and bring fresh thinking to the body politic. To do this they were going to rise above party politics and narrow dogma.
On the basis of these promises, the AFC won seven seats. They didn’t have much of a record, but their campaign was very appealing to well intentioned, progressive Guyanese looking to break the stalemate, effect some change, and move along with the rest of the world.
As emerging global citizens in the age of mass communication, cell phones, television and international travel; Guyanese had seen the impossible happen. The Berlin Wall had come down, the mighty USSR had collapsed and South African Apartheid, racial segregation and disenfranchisement were reformed, and Nelson Mandela had won the Nobel Peace Prize and the South African Presidency.
Guyana’s divide is puny in relation to gaps that were closed by these and other global watershed events. What harm could there be in giving these guys in the “middle ground” a shot at delivering on their talk?
The answer to this question has become increasingly clear with each passing day. The AFC now have a record and it bears no resemblance to their promises. One can only surmise that the party which supposedly had no political axe to grind has either been hijacked to the detriment of any moderating influences it once had, or they masked their intention well with slick slogans and the triangulating tactics handed off to them by their political consultant Dick Morris.
Since the 2011 elections, the AFC has voted against every transformational project, blocked anti-money legislation, turned financial hardship to ordinary Guyanese “collateral damage,” and have been completely intransigent at every opportunity to effect positive change. For example, when presented with the opportunity on national TV to debate the government on the ugly issue of corruption, they refused to turn up.
Most recently, they irresponsibly walked out of the budget presentation, with no regard for their constituents, or for the significant effort and coordination that has gone into preparing this critical document, which is probably the most intensive and comprehensive annual undertaking of the government, and of paramount importance to bettering the lives of Guyanese.
The simplified chart tries to capture some sense of the exhaustive strategic thinking and balancing of priorities that is being employed in Guyana’s budget preparation. The process has its genesis in, and builds on, the original National Development Strategy (NDS) put together by the Ministry of Finance under the auspices of the Carter Center and with input of some 250 Guyanese experts from government, business, academia, trade unions, non-governmental organisations, and the environmental movement.
The strategy’s big vision, briefly, was to deploy Financial Stewardship to drive broad economic growth that is widely distributed in society among the regions and throughout the population from the coast to the hinterland, leading to widespread poverty reduction, which in turn fosters greater social and geographic unity.
This groundbreaking document has been renewed and updated for current priorities and new developments with the National Competiveness Strategy, the Poverty Reduction Strategy and the Low Carbon Development Strategy, which is now the overarching guide. In addition, the process is informed by input from UN agencies, Millennium Development Goals, infrastructure development and capacity building, sea defenses, other focal development strategies, and social policies like health, education, and housing.
Compare the huge commitment and enormous work effort that goes into crafting the budget, to the AFC walk out which requires no work at all. The AFC’s action is not only a betrayal of its constituents – their action is an affront to all taxpayers who pay their salaries.
At the opening of the 10th parliament, President Donald Ramotar expressed the hope the session would go down in history as the one that sees Guyana firmly on the highway to peace, progress and prosperity.

He commented that the country’s abundant fresh water and arable land put it in a good position to serve the growing need for food, but noted the need to improve transportation facilities in the country to allow Guyana to become a major hub for the movement of goods between South America, the Caribbean and North America.

He also spoke of the need to acquire cheaper, cleaner and more reliable sources of power that would support more manufacturing, agro-processing, and value added treatment of our mineral resources while promoting the creation of well paying jobs and slashing our fuel import costs.

His outline of the PPP/C government’s vision for the future also touched on maintaining and improving the country’s traditional sectors – sugar, rice, bauxite and gold. He noted that health, housing and other social programmes and services would remain a top priority in urban and rural areas. Safety, security, and the fight against the narco-trade are also priorities, as are issues specific to women and youth empowerment.
What has been the AFC’s contribution to this vision? One need little reminder of the whack-a-mole games they have indulged in, including:
– Blocking AML/CFT legislation thereby placing the country in jeopardy of being blacklisted by the FATF and falling into a financial crisis.
– Attempting to block the payment by Norway to Guyana under an agreement to combat climate change through the funding of the Low Carbon Development Strategy. Guyana has since received three consecutive payments totalling US$115 million and has satisfied the conditions for a fourth.
– Voting to defund the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC).
– Voting against the Cheddi Jagan International Airport expansion and other hinterland air facilities.
– Cutting funding for the Amerindian Development Fund, the Specialty Hospital, and Marriott Hotel.
– Opposing the Amaila Falls Hydroelectricity Project, which would stimulate new industries in areas like Linden, support the country’s LCD strategy, reduce reliance on costly fossil fuels, provide employment in the interior and provide lower electricity costs for all of Guyana.
Despite this assault, Finance Minister , Dr. Ashni Singh, reported in his 2014 Budget speech that over the past two years, the Guyanese economy has continued to grow at an annual average of 5 percent, at a time when growth in the Caribbean averaged 1.3 percent. Foreign direct investment (FDI) has totalled US$507.7 million when FDI flows elsewhere have been contracting dramatically. Private sector credit has expanded by 34.6 percent cumulatively, and the external debt has declined from 46.7 percent to 41.9 percent of gross domestic product.
By Ron Cheong -in Toronto, Canada