THERE has never been a doubt that some politicians are prepared to stoop to some of the lowest levels, in their public utterances, not only to give a semblance of representing the highest import of personal integrity and defender of public morality as they seek to court the favours of their supporters.

But, as has always been the case, they are often the ones who would end up being seen for their double standards. Adversarial politics, yes; because the latter, as traditionally known, is one that is common in the two-party system, with each representative from both sides often taking the opposite pole of opinion to that of the other. However, what has been daily off loaded by the political opposition in the local political milieu has been more than taking different viewpoints on a national issue. It has continued to be bold and brazen in its daily outpourings of misinformation and fake news that continue to defy both logic and established truth, although the latter reality is so evident throughout Guyana.

It is a continued attempt, on the part of the PPP/C, led by Bharat Jagdeo, to discredit not only the government, whose record of achievements continues to attract high praises and commendations, despite a very challenging four years of governance, and a deviously, contrived PPP/C No-Confidence Motion, aimed at grabbing power.

The response to what were specifically baseless and scandalous accusations, levelled against the President David Granger administration, through the Guyana lands and Surveys Commission (GLSC), is another dark notch up the journey ladder of PPP/C disinformation, deception and fake news strategy. But it has also served to expose what many see as institutionalised marginalisation of a section of our society by that party.

Jagdeo’s claims of “land grabbing” by several persons last week, some close to the government, was both shocking and deceptive. Not only has his claims been debunked by the Commissioner of the GLSC in his press conference, but also by Geotechnical Engineer and Groundwater Hydrologist, Charles Ceres and Eric Phillips. It also illustrated the stark and ugly discrimination against those individuals in terms of the price for the leases by the former PPP/C administration, as against that paid by favoured friends of the Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar administrations. There was even an instance of a court decision that ordered the then government to return 2192 acres that it had re-possessed from an African Guyanese businesswoman, which court decision was not honoured, until the new dispensation. What had also been revealed by the Commissioner was the kind of government, in its official state policy, which openly discriminated without any compunction, against a section of our society. It was as if this category was not supposed to own any material possession. And this is not to forget that thousands of acres of land had been given to PPP/C officials, inclusive of Jagdeo.

Undoubtedly, it is the kind of nepotism that has left an indelible trail in the pillaged track of PPP/ politics; as well as mapping its penchant for political opposition misinformation that seeks to disingenuously place the coalition government, as in the same category as what has been the sordid and immoral record of the Jagdeo/Ramotar administrations. And again, it is the worn-out Jagdeo strategy of reverse psychology, which has been exposed for all its criminally dishonest practice of seeking to paint the government with the same brush, justly applied to itself.

Finally, for Jagdeo to be waving “stolen Documents” documents of a confidential nature, no doubt acquired illegally from the Commission, is a criminal offence that amounts to collusion with similar hostile elements within, and again underlines the threat of “moles” within the public service, being activated by ‘’powerful forces’’ “who intend to take control of all our land…”, as correctly described by Commissioner Trevor Benn.

It cannot be over-emphasised that this category is not performing official duties in the best interests of the state which they have been employed to serve. Further, their clandestine activities run counter to the objectives of government policies, while constituting a counter to the authority of the immediate department in which they are located. We hope that Law enforcement will be summoned to investigate this criminal act, and arrest those responsible. These are very dangerous persons who, for financial favours and other considerations, are prepared to collude with forces hostile to the government. They must be ferreted out, and made to face prosecution.