IN the past two months, Guyana’s Opposition has gone through a political metamorphosis.

This metamorphosis is visible in the behaviour patterns of the APNU+AFC Coalition. It is a pattern that sees their politicians engaged actively in opportunistic and emotional politics. They are using the senseless politics of hate, race, vindictiveness, and spite to get the political mileage and gratification they need to make them feel they are an effective opposition.

Look at the vaccination campaign, for instance. Government is busy getting stricter with its policies and regulations that deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. Apart from the safety guidelines of mask-wearing and social distancing, persons must have a vaccine shot or COVID-19 PCR test. Abiding by this is the only way anybody can access the government services via its various departments. Businesses followed suit because the private interests do not want to undergo another phased lockdown because of COVID-19.

Enter the Opposition APNU+AFC. While many of their supporters, mostly in Regions Four and 10 were still resistant to vaccination, the Opposition politicians capitalised on their fear. Politicians went to those same groups telling them they were there to stand with them in solidarity against the government. These politicians claimed concern about protecting their right to choose for themselves, and the government has the wrong approach. Skillfully, they agitated the people to protest against the vaccination campaign to make sure they are safe. They then told those people at different times during the protest emotional things like the PPP Government was discriminating and inheritably racist towards Afro-Guyanese supporters of the APNU+AFC Coalition, some teachers, nurses, and public servants.

The APNU+AFC politicians knew what they were doing. They exploited the opportunity and played with the sensitive issue of the people’s health. Newcomer, Coretta Mc Donald allowed her union to be a vehicle for the APNU+AFC Coalition for political gain. The GPSU and GTUC watched complicitly too in evoking fears about rights and vaccination amongst workers.

Now turn your attention to the march held by the Opposition-affiliated group in the US. APNU+AFC politicians saw the political opportunity to make false claims against the government and PPP and went at it. Now, many people who were part of the so-called fight have hung up their gloves, bowed out, and retreated because they learned what the politicians were up to is of no good. The US Congressman, Hakeem Jeffries,is now facing a backlash.

The APNU+AFC Opposition should never be trusted. They lost their earlier allegations with the general vaccination campaign and suffered a pivotal defeat. They lost the election in which they tried to cheat. They failed miserably to hold their respective leadership races and congress of the parties then opportunistically blames the pandemic. Its charges against the PPP Government of corruption are running cold and becoming political deadweight to the Coalition. Their plan to get together people on the streets is not working, and they are not saying anything that makes sense to the international community.

Just note the Coalition is dying and desperate to stay relevant under the leadership of David Granger and Joseph Harmon. These two political novices are not showing any signs of
giving up this game that is threatening the livelihoods of the people they purportedly represent. In Region Four, the political opportunism is boiling over between the APNU/PNC Regional Chairman, Daniel Seeram, and his AFC councillors who are going to table a no-confidence motion yet again against him. They are exposing the mismanagement occurring in the region and fight for power.

They are not showing they care for the people. Normal people are seen just as political collateral damage for the ultimate prize of getting the APNU+AFC’s sticky hands on the oil money, and Guyana again.

Guyanese who are right-thinking and law-abiding citizens must reject these opportunistic political appeals. They must chase them out when they come to you telling you something which you know doesn’t make sense. After all, they didn’t do it while they were in office. Why are they going so hard now?

The APNU+AFC Opposition must know that people want genuine leadership and responsible politics that is not personal but objective and formative. They want their representative to be a voice of sober, factual, and persuasive arguments in the National Assembly. The Opposition must sort itself out because it is in a leadership vacuum. The irresponsible, reckless, and superficial politics of the Opposition does not augar well for Guyana. It is a grave injustice to the populists. The year is 2021. The political strategies used in 1998 will not do!