THERE is a tendency among the political opposition to play down the economic and social progress made by the current PPP/C administration.
And while one cannot reasonably expect the political opposition to sing the praises of the ruling party, if only for opportunistic reasons, it is an entirely different matter when lies, half-truths and distortions are utilised to create an alternative truth that has no bearing on objective reality.
For the political opposition, there is hardly anything done by the current administration, however meritorious, that is considered praiseworthy. Not even the one-off cash grant of $100,000 to all Guyanese over the age of 18 is spared the wrath of the PNC. All manner of negative commentaries are being made, ranging from the bizarre to the ridiculous.

Unable to find fault with the measures being implemented by the PPP/C administration to enhance the spending power of every Guyanese, the APNU is sheepishly seeking to take credit for the cash grant. Former Finance Minister Winston Jordan under the Granger administration, even went to ridiculous proportions to change his own narrative and sought to take credit for the initiative.

There is a basic level of decency and integrity that individuals are expected to uphold both in their private and public lives. Taking credit for an idea that does not belong to you is at best intellectually dishonest and at worst an act of hypocrisy.
The records will show that the former finance minister not only opposed the idea of the cash grant during his tenure as finance minister, but was also exclusionary in terms of grants payable to significant segments of the population who may or may not receive other forms of cash assistance in previous years.

This hypocrisy by former Minister Winston Jordan has not escaped the attention of PPP General Secretary Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, who chided the opposition for attempting to take credit for the government’s initiative of a one-time cash grant for all eligible Guyanese.
As noted by Dr Jagdeo, this measure will inject billions of dollars into the pockets of Guyanese, thereby fulfilling yet another commitment made in the PPP/C’s manifesto.

Unlike some who are critical of the grant as unsustainable and proverbially giving someone a fish rather than teaching them to fish, this one-off cash grant has to be seen in the context of a multiplicity of other cross-cutting measures taken by the PPP/C government to increase disposable income along with a range of training opportunities now available to the population to become skilled professionals and in the process enhance their earning capacity.

Thousands of Guyanese can now access higher education through the GOAL programme at no financial cost to recipients. University education has now been declared by President Ali as free at the University of Guyana from next year.
These are profoundly significant developments that are unmatched in many countries, including those from the developed world.

The political opposition has now found itself in a difficult situation, especially as general and regional elections draw nearer and nearer. And, as pointed out by the PPP General Secretary, the writing is on the wall. The PNC/ APNU/AFC is becoming increasingly aware that they are heading for defeat in the upcoming polls.

Getting power by other means, as it attempted to do in the March 2020 General and Regional Elections is out of the question. It must come to terms with the reality of the will of the people in free and fair elections as the only basis of governance. Hiding under the fig leaf of an alternative reality will not be in its best interest.