CRITICISM, especially if it is constructive, is good for the health of any society. This is why the PPP/C administration is on record as saying that it supports the right of all Guyanese to express their views freely and openly even when such views may not be aligned with the positions taken by the ruling administration.
This is indeed how it should be and the PPP/C administration must be commended for the stance taken on this fundamental aspect of our democracy.

This right to differ and to be critical of policies and programmes of the government, however, is not absolute but one that is grounded on a duty and responsibility to defend the government, and by extension, the State.
Article 33 of the Constitution confers on all Guyanese a duty to defend the State especially when it is under attack. Despite this constitutional requirement the political opposition continues to peddle a false narrative of political and racial discrimination injurious to the health of the society. Its continuous narrative of being ‘cheated’ out of power and discriminatory policies against Afro-Guyanese are two cases in point.

Nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the PPP/C administration has been even-handed in its approach to development and no community or region is being sidelined by the administration in its drive to enhance the material and cultural life of the Guyanese people, regardless of race, religion or political affiliation.
Only recently, President Dr. Mohamed Irfaan Ali had cause to debunk claims by some individuals from the Amerindian People’s Association (APA) and the political opposition that certain individuals were debarred from participating in the recent National Toshaos Council (NTC) Conference.

President Ali in response to such criticisms noted that Amerindians and their respective leaders are given every opportunity to interrogate the work of the government, especially about policies and programmes relating to Amerindian development.
The current administration, as observed by President Ali, welcomes criticism but it also maintains the right to respond and make its case. “The disagreement is welcome. Every day we see people who disagree with us in the media…That’s what democracy is about. We don’t have an issue with persons disagreeing but when you disagree, we also have a democratic right to present our case.”

The fact is that the PPP/C administration has already established its credentials over the decades as a party that can be trusted to administer the welfare and well-being of the Guyanese people and to advance their interests. As a political party, it has never been found wanting in fulfilling its responsibility as a corporate citizen by ensuring that its financial responsibilities to statutory bodies are met on a timely manner. This includes the payment of rates and taxes to the Georgetown municipality and the payment of utility bills including water and electricity.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said of the PNC which, it was recently disclosed, owed billions of dollars to the City Council for outstanding rates and taxes. According to PPP General Secretary and Vice-President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, Congress Place owes $6.7 billion, excluding outstanding payments amounting to millions of dollars for other properties owned by the PNC.
The point in the above is simply to highlight the failure of the PNC to manage its own internal party business in a manner consistent with national and municipal laws. The PNC-dominated Mayor and City Council appear helpless to get the Party to honour its financial obligation to the City and have resorted to enacting a new ‘Institutional Rate Policy’ that seeks to exempt political parties from paying rates and taxes or reducing those sums. This could only be to the benefit of the PNC and possibly some of the smaller parties but certainly not the PPP which has never defaulted on its statutory payments.

This is the fundamental difference between the PPP and the PNC. The PPP has always embraced the principle of constitutional governance and the rule of law, be they national or local. The PNC by contrast has always sought to navigate its way through recourse to devious and fraudulent means as was the case of the 2020 General and Regional Elections and in previous elections before October 1992.
Yet there are those who would rather remain silent on these fundamental infractions and seek instead to attack the ruling PPP/C administration for simply trying to defend itself against subversive actions by those with known political agendas.