THE People’s National Congress (PNC) is obviously living in a different world. It continues to behave as if it is in control of the state apparatus and refuses to come to terms with a new and changing reality, namely, that we now live in rules based, law governed society, one in which there is equality of opportunity for all regardless of race, ethnicity, gender and political affiliation.

This sentiment was expressed by the governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) in a statement to the media on Thursday.

“What the APNU seems not to understand is that in Guyana today there is the merit principle at work which informs employment practices and not the ownership of a PNC Party card as was the case under the PNC regime,” the PPP contended.
It said the same merit principle is applicable to those identified for training programmes locally and overseas. This merit principle is manifested in the countless number of young Guyanese from all ethnic groups and social backgrounds who today are doctors, engineers, agronomists, nurses, teachers and professionals, the majority of whom have benefited from scholarship programmes offered and paid for by the state.

For the PNC to selectively single out persons who benefit from the Government’s training and employment practices is most disgusting and totally misleading, the most recent being an attack against the Commissioner-General of the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA) Mr. Kurshid Sattaur by APNU Member of Parliament Mr. Joseph Harmon who accused him of nepotism because his children were employed in the same organisation in which he worked.

The PPP said the fact that the children were recommended for employment by an independent interview panel based on qualification and suitability were of no consequence to APNU and Mr. Harmon who has now arrogated to himself the role of official spokesman for the PNC and APNU.

The PPP recalled that similar accusations were made by the political Opposition against the wife of Finance Minister Dr. Ashni Singh despite the fact that she is eminently qualified for the position she holds in the Auditor General’s Office. The list against young professionals who did not escape the wrath of the PNC is long and included Mr. Winston Brassington and Mrs. Marcia Nadir-Sharma from the Privatisation Unit and Ms. Azeena Baksh, Registrar of the Deeds Registry who is the daughter of Minister Ali Baksh.

These attacks are not only limited to professionals in the public sector but entrepreneurs who by virtue of their application and business acumen have done well in the field of business and commerce.

Among the more notable cases are, Dr. Bobby Ramroop who has successfully turned around the ailing GPC under the PNC into a dynamic and successful business enterprise. His company, the New GPC is the holder of the Limacol Caribbean Premier League Cricket franchise which is providing cricket entertainment to tens of thousands of people not only in Guyana but the Caribbean and for that matter the entire cricketing world.

Instead of commending Dr. Ramroop for his success in the field of business and entertainment, the PPP said he is being greeted with a barrage of criticisms and all manner of unsavoury remarks thrown at him by the political Opposition.

Others who have been attacked included Mr. Vishok Persaud, son of the late Pandit Reepu Daman Persaud who has made a name for himself in Guyana in the area of information and communication technology and Mr. Alexi Ramotar, the son of the our President Donald Ramotar who heads the Government’s ICT programme in the country.

The PPP said all of these are individuals whose qualification and experience along with their high competence levels allow them to contribute to the development of the country in a way that ought to be commended rather than being spurned upon as the Opposition is attempting to do.

“The Opposition parties should be ashamed of themselves for casting aspersions on our sons and daughters who are doing our country proud and whose only ‘fault’ seems to lie in their stars by virtue of birth or association. It would seem that apart from political considerations there is also an ethnic bias since majority of those attacked are Indo-Guyanese,” the PPP stated.

The Opposition should immediately desist from such attacks, which is coming across as mean-spirited and small-minded. The PPP calls on APNU and the Opposition parties to apologise to these young and dynamic professionals and entrepreneurs for the remarks made against them.

The APNU and Opposition elements would do well to rise above such pettiness and meanness of spirit but that may be asking too much of them.