GUIDED by President, Dr Irfaan Ali’s “One Guyana” initiative and vision, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) administration, through its unbiased approach to development, has been making significant inroads into communities not commonly supportive of this political party.

Testimony of the government’s progress in known People’s National Congress (PNC) strongholds are the reactions of residents: their warm welcomes, expressions of gratitude and the confidence they express in the PPP/C, which has a proven track record of governing for the people and getting the job done.

Whether it is through the provision of agricultural materials to the residents of Belladrum or the fulfilment of a commitment to address drainage issues in Buxton, the government has no doubt demonstrated its keen interest in building “One Guyana” and ensuring that the benefits of a thriving economy redound to every Guyanese, regardless of their race, creed, religious belief and political affiliation.

Even persons affiliated with the PNC have benefitted from the government’s direct community development initiatives, albeit some of them accept the provisions of the PPP/C with masks on, to hide their faces so they could continue their efforts to evoke divisiveness by spreading rumours of a false reality of racial discrimination in Guyana’s society.

The truth is, behind the untruths and demagoguery, the PNC is scared out of its skin because its relevance and support base are being reduced because of the government’s positive efforts.

Already batting on the back foot because the AFC—the minor partner in the APNU+AFC coalition— has indicated that it will be jumping ship when the Cummingsburg Accord expires in December, the PNC finds itself in a difficult spot and one would expect that its fear of losing more supporters would drive the party to intensify its usual obstructionist efforts.

There are already signs of this, as representatives of the party, in the space of just one month, have sought to obstruct development at the community level, evidently without regard for how the restriction of advancement in those particular areas would impact the residents who, in some cases, have asked for various interventions.
The most recent attempt to block development was the locking out of a contractor who was conducting rehabilitative works at the Den Amstel Community Centre Ground, West Coast Demerara.

Minister within the Ministry of Public Works, Deodat Indar, visited the site where he posted a video on his Facebook page and explained that the APNU+AFC NDC Chairman together with other councillors, reportedly went to the contractor, hurled remarks at him and chased him out of the ground, thereafter placing two padlocks on the gate in an attempt to stop the works.

“The contractors at the Den Amstel Community Centre were doing their work. This is following the visit by the President of Guyana to this community. I accompanied the President with a number of others. The whole country saw the promises made by the President to rehabilitate this ground, put lights in, a basketball court, fix up the roads in the community and so forth,” Minister Indar said.

This incident follows a similar situation in Belladrum, Region Five, where APNU+AFC Member of Parliament, Vinceroy Jordan, physically blocked Minister of the Public Service, Sonia Parag, from entering the Community Development Council building.

The minister and a team had ventured into the community to also deliver on promises made by President Ali during a visit to the area. Among the opportunities for residents, as outlined by the President, are skills training, scholarships, and jobs.

Cognisant of those acts, the supporters of the PNC should now ask themselves why the people who claim to care about their well-being are restricting the implementation of interventions that would not only enhance the aesthetics of the community, but also contribute to the overall development of residents.

The PNC’s tactics, as outlined by the government, would not derail the efforts being undertaken to develop Guyana. In fact, the only stakeholder that stands to lose is the PNC, since persons are now more informed and empowered with the knowledge to make decisions for their own benefit, instead of standing by or supporting efforts to disrupt community development.