–Dr Jagdeo says opposition lacks experience, credibility, intellect to represent Guyanese

GENERAL Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), Dr Bharrat Jagdeo underscored the intellectual deficit of frontrunners in the parliamentary opposition.
This deficit, Dr Jagdeo said, renders these political parties unable to deal with the complex issues of governing the country.

The General Secretary was at the time commenting on an article in the media, featuring Opposition Parliamentarian Ganesh Mahipaul who indicated that his party, the People’s National Congress Reform (PNC/R), would accept victory at the next elections even if the party’s demand for a new voter’s list is not met, but would challenge the elections results if the party lost.

Dr Jagdeo pointed out, at his weekly press conference at Freedom House on Robb Street, that Ganesh Mahipaul, Aubrey Norton, Elson Lowe, and Shurwayne Holder, who all hold executive positions in the PNC/R, have little to no managerial or policy-making experience.
“[Ganesh] Mahipaul was the Community Development Officer in Region Three in 2020. Elson Lowe was a Research Assistant at SARA [State Assets Recovery Agency], and Shurwayne Holder was working for a local businessman in 2020. These are the…people you will put your future, the future policymaking and your children’s future in their hands?” Jagdeo questioned.

The general secretary, who also performs the duties of Vice President, juxtaposed this against the leading members of the incumbent government, who have all held high-level positions in public policy, the private sector, and the judiciary.
“By contrast, [Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali] became a Member of Parliament in 2006. In 2009, he became a minister. He had six years in the Cabinet, and then he was the Opposition spokesperson on Finance…before he became President…Ashni Singh has had many years [in] Finance…Mark Phillips headed the army. He brought that management experience to the position as Prime Minister,” he highlighted.

“You need some experience to tackle the complex tasks of government. We can’t take chances with people who have…no management experience,” Dr Jagdeo concluded.
This explains, according to the general secretary, the intellectual deficit that is portrayed daily by the politicians from the Opposition.

“So, they can talk a lot of nonsense. Every week they go and just make policy on the run…they don’t have a clue about doing anything because they’ve never done anything before. [We cannot] gamble with the future of our country,” the General Secretary posited.
In the last decade, the current PPP/C Administration has spent a total of five years in government, enabling significant development in the areas of health, education, sport, tourism, natural resources, agriculture, and youth, among others, whilst the APNU+AFC administration has spent a total of five years with little or no development.

Prior to this, the PPP/C held office for 23 years consecutively, raising the country out of debt and putting it on a path towards prosperity.