THE revelations of the youthful former APNU/PNC parliamentarian, Africo Selman should not come as a surprise to those who are au fait with the politics of the PNC. One should take cognisance of the fact that it is old wine in new wineskins that inhabit Congress Place, even as that party assumes various guises through name changes and combinations of partnerships, because it is the same dinosaurs of the Burnham era that controls the mechanics of the PNC, and these relics have one mind-set; that is, to appropriate power and the Office of the President at any cost.
Thus the issue of power-sharing has become a focal point, whereby Opposition supporters are prepared to go to ultimate extremes for a few egomaniacs to regain administrative leverage in this country; never mind that when they had total power they used it to destroy rather than build.

Full administrative control has always eluded the PPP/C. Rampaging corruption and ineptitude in public offices have prevailed even after general elections of l992, thanks to the destabilising strategies of the PNC and its traditional allies – both overt and covert: Overtly the Trades Union Congress (TUC), the Guyana Public Service Union (GPSU), and the Transport Union, all of which oppose every system the Government attempts to implement towards restoring an orderly administrative structure in the Public Service. Covertly?

Well, the discerning can judge for themselves, using past history with the House of Israel, the missing weapons, the glorifying of ‘Blackie’ and others of his ilk as a barometer; and if one does not condone their methods for their acquisition of greater power and align with their concept of “kith and kin” and prefer to align with systems promoting national good, then they are called traitors. Witness attacks on Bishop Juan Edghill, Father Gilbert and other like-minded citizens of this land.

Members of Guyana’s security services – young men who are duty-bound to protect this nation, are intermittently slaughtered indiscriminately, But to what avail? Men, women, and even children, living simple lives, are butchered even as they sleep in the sanctuary of their homes.

In the concept of power-sharing, power is the operative word. The contenders care not at all about the welfare of their supporters. Their goal is not-so-purely self-aggrandisement by whatever means possible, even if this means the destruction of the country and the unity of the Guyanese people. Power is the key.

Participatory leadership is what the objective should be – and the PPP/Civic Government has implemented systems that include all stakeholders in participatory governance; in its Civic component; in the parliamentary committees; and even within Parliament itself.

Dr. Cheddi Jagan has always pursued this ideal – first by forming the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), then the PPP, with a composition of membership that bridged all the divides. Race was certainly never an issue during those days of struggle against colonialism. But greed for power reared its ugly head like the biblical serpent and catalysed a division and distrust between Guyana’s two major races that has lasted for decades.

However, Guyanese have become enlightened and generally are not inclined to allow themselves to be used for political expediency and to satiate the hunger for power of the opportunistic Opposition cabal; so their supporters are deserting their parties and seeking alignment with the PPP/C – a party they deem to be committed to national healing and progress for the nation.