Dear Editor,
IN retrospect, the dreaded leap year 2020, globally projected many points of view which can be pictured in multiple perspectives, particularly positive for a limited few and negative for most who portend not to pretend. In many countries, it has been a year when the practice of broken principles replaced the value of honour and dignity and many politicians savoured dirty politics and dishonesty.
Throughout the world, parallel with or aloof from politics is the deadly attack of the COVID-19 pandemic which poisoned people and places. Researchers were successful in providing the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, hoping to prevent the spread of this virus as participants continue to be inoculated.
Guyana was in no way different from the rest of the world and also suffered from the disease of politics and the deadliness of the COVID-19 pandemic. Of course, Guyana General and Regional Elections held on March 2nd, took precedence over the pandemic, caused by a virus killing some 164 Guyanese to date with over 6,200 confirmed cases registered.
Some 5,200 people have recovered and over 32,000 have been tested. Making headlines was the refusal of the callous APNU+AFC government, lead by then President David Granger, to acknowledge the victory of the PPP/C party, led by current President, Dr. Irfaan Ali. The numerous daring but feeble attempts to rig the election was glaring to the entire world, when GECOM officers valiantly tried unsuccessfully to hinder the smooth operation of the electoral process, hindering a declaration until after five months.
Highlighting resistance to the APNU+AFC undermining democracy, was the commendable input of the diplomats from the ABCE countries, all heads from the Caribbean and Commonwealth countries, regional and local stakeholders and the Guyanese people. This fearless defiance to a heartless President Granger and his reckless party members, underscored the demise of the APNU+AFC. America’s final boot in the butt, finally saw Granger demitting office when Secretary Of State Mike Pompeo instituting visa restrictions as a sanction and Granger was instructed to “step aside”, after receiving a potently effective phone call from a powerful resource!
The terrible year of 2020 will always be remembered for the shame and disgrace Guyana and Guyanese suffered as a result of the devious actions perpetrated upon a nation and her people by the infamous Granger and his rogue band of senseless men and women. Granger dragged the country through dirt from the inception of the year by illegitimately appointing James Patterson as GECOM Chairman. A house-to-house registration exercise further denied the calling of an early election.
The many frivolous and vexatious litigations petitioned in the Guyana courts and the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) exposed the fallacies Granger and his battery of legal advisers, led by former Attorney General Basil Williams. The former AG felt the wrath of the law by losing three times consecutively at the CCJ. Of paramount importance for this year and for Guyana is the infamous fact that not a single Caribbean Head of Government nor a Head of State from the rest of the international community supported Granger and his deceptive group with their villainous behaviour.
In fact, it was a CARICOM recount election result and all heads from CARICOM and the AOL condemning Granger and the APNU+AFC, that further hammered the last nail in the party’s coffin. This despicable act has caused the APNU+AFC to feel unwelcome and uncomfortable in the presence of any foreign dignitary and they will never be able to see “eye to eye” again with any decency and dignity. Enough was enough and they cannot blame this leap year, but their greed and lust for illegitimate power and financial control.
With damaging and devastating effect, are the startling revelations by the PPP/C since assuming office, of all of the corruption and collusions perpetrated by the Granger-led APNU+AFC during their delirious reign for the past five years. New Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh has revealed that the former government spent $1.2 trillion in the last five years and left the economy in disaster, an abused Contingency Fund and US$400 million in new external debt. The country was taxed with the collection of $992 billion in revenues and then the former government squandered $1.2 trillion in a wasteful and unproductive manner. The aggregate fiscal deficit of the central government amounted to $130 billion, after accounting for grants received. It is noteworthy to pinpoint that the PPP/C government when they demitted office in 2015, left a net deposit at the Central Bank of $16 billion, which was confirmed by the IMF. Also, government is currently saddled with the $30 billion NICIL bond of which $17 billion has been drawn down, and a humongous $12 billion owed to GPL by government entities, including $7 billion owed to the utility by GWI.
The frenzied and debilitating crime wave is another sore area dominating this year’s occurrences, with the alarming escalation of treacherous road deaths and accidents. The brutal deaths of the Henry cousins and Haresh Singh remain an unsolved mystery. The increase of violence against women resulted in many deaths as another focal point. Racial insinuations instigated by APNU+AFC leaders and servants, at home and abroad, clouded dark days of this year. As a result, the Berbice fiasco became a reality due to lawless, provocative and unethical behaviour. The year 2020 will be remembered as one when the APNU+AFC was party to the traumatising of Guyana, driven to a higher poverty line and contributing to the pain and suffering of Guyanese. The ambitious Granger’s penchant for maintaining illegitimate power at any cost signalled the defection of sanity to madness, heralding the disrespect of law and order and castigating the innocence of Guyanese.
Another year when the Constitution was trampled upon by APNU+AFC party, the rights of Guyanese and rules and regulations were ignored, even the police force and the army were in default. This is a year when many intellectuals, professionals, and social and religious leaders kept in abeyance, remained silent and refused to speak up and against the wrongdoings committed on the Guyanese people. The now producing oil industry brought more headaches with astonishing and unbelieving disclosures to fathom a seat of aspersions, controversies and speculations by both the APNU+AFC and the PPP/C, leaving Guyanese with doubts and uncertainties. This leap year 2020, will be remembered for all its blasphemy, challenges, hypocrisy, dishonesty, lies, deceit, financial misappropriations, unveiled corruption, exposure of the APNU+AFC’s inefficiency and deficiency and the deterioration of many political parties, denouncing the downside of Guyana’s infamous achievements. If time, space and opportunity permit, an attempt will be made to glance at the other side of the coin.
Respectfully,
Jai Lall
