Dr. David Hinds continue to issue odious invectives and venomous epithets in order to build cadences of hate against Afro-Guyanese who dare to criticize the anyone in the PNC leadership or anyone who claims the title “Black Leader”.
I know because he targeted me. Hinds own practice of politics and his own track record of criticizing the PNC and so-called black leadership is far more severe and politically debilitating than anything coming from me.
Hinds posture finds logic in two simple explanations: One, Hinds believe he is some sort of superior omniscient African Ayatollah who sits at the apex of African-Guyanese intellectualism as the originator of political narratives for which Afro-Guyanese must be lumped into one groupthink; two, the first disposition finds grounding and expression steeped in racism. Black people are demons when they criticize black leaders while supporting a government lead by an Indo-Guyanese.
David Hinds’ recent tirades are not only duplicitous but also dishonest and calculated to rile up negative racial sentiments towards PPP for its revitalized attempt at inclusiveness.
These are David Hinds’ words, “The PNC does not have a monopoly on African- Guyanese political behaviour and the AFC’s ability to hold the Indian -Guyanese dissident vote is contingent on its ability to show them … that the party is not a PNC “tag-along … Burnhamist ideas are a thing of the past that many African-Guyanese have no relationship to and don’t care about—the political world has moved on.” (Nov 2017)
David Hinds spent every waking moment criticizing the APNU+AFC government for its failures, he started from day one and never let up until the coalition left office in 2020.
He criticized and deconstructed the government from within, even in some very difficult moments when it needed to be propped up.
When APNU+AFC left office, it was a mere political shell, partly suffering from the hallowing out of its bowels by the pen of David Hinds.
The following are entirely David Hinds’ own words, without comment.
“After six months at the helm, the report card for the government is mixed. Some may say, with much justification, that it is too early to judge a government … six months is enough time to provide proper answers … I am still waiting on the President to articulate to the country a clear political strategy and direction, and the principles that would guide them.” (Nov 2015).
“It’s been two years since half of the Guyanese electorate struck a historic blow for change … many of us not only breathed a sigh of relief, but we actually entertained the thought that the new government could turn out to be a medium for transformation … the stage was perfectly set for something transformational. But, alas, two years later I must confess that I was dead wrong. After two years in office, the government has shown no inclination towards, or interest in transformation. The first two years of this government’s tenure would be remembered for a few negative things—the huge salary raise it gave itself, the building of the unnecessary Durban Park stadium, the Parking Meter fiasco, the VAT on private education, the attack on street vendors, the insensitivity over the Walter Rodney CoI, the indecisiveness about what to do about corruption and the clumsy handling of sugar reform. While the government has chalked up these negatives, it has not been able to do one big thing that impacted the popular consciousness in a positive way. There have been no aggressive education reform initiatives. Social Cohesion has been a joke. Healthcare reform has not even surfaced. Unemployment and unliveable wages have remained intact. Part of it has to do with a lack of political experience and an absence of vision. (May 2017)
If the coalition does not change course … it will continue to lose the confidence of its supporters and most likely lose the next election … the public verdict is negative … government supporters are restless … The economy is not taking off because of both political destabilization and bad policy.” (Sept 2017)
“Today is the last day of the year—another year of frustration and dashed hopes has come to an end … 2017 has been a disappointing year for the government on almost all fronts … It was the year when 4,000 sugar workers were dismissed … You simply cannot dismiss 4,000 workers in a small economy like Guyana’s and not expect such action to have immediate, direct effect on households, extended families and communities. When one adds the number of cases in which government’s action was deemed unconstitutional, 2017 may well be the worst year for the coalition.” (Dec 2017)
“David Granger, by no means a charismatic leader was elevated into a political rock-star. Now, just three short years later, our country has lost hope again. The government that came to power with such mammoth goodwill has turned out to be the most unimaginative since independence. It has given Guyana nothing big and transformative to hold on to. It governs as if it has no sense of its own place in history. Its laudable vision outlined in its election manifesto has not been translated into policy. It stumbles from one political error to another.” (May 2018)
“The PNC is in a coalition with other parties precisely because it has not been able to win a free and fair election on its own … the PNC is endangering the longevity and legitimacy of the coalition by governing as a PNC government rather than as a coalition … PNC’s bigness is important, but by itself it is just a big opposition party … The independent vote could be lost in 2020. Those voters may punish the coalition not just for the PNC’s betrayal, but for the AFC and WPA’s inability to take independent stances since 2015.” (Oct 2018)
Its failure to make good on that promise is one of the major reasons it lost its way so quickly … we soon found out, those who were entrusted to manage this transformation had other ideas, or perhaps no ideas at all. They were collectively not interested in transformation and perhaps incapable of summoning what it takes to begin the process. Already, we are hearing that Ministers would be summoned to go into the communities. But as one of my close friends asked—what are they going into the communities to tell the people? You must have something to tell those people who in three years moved from a high of elevated expectations to a low of frustration and disdain. (Dec 2018 before the No-Confidence vote)
“As soon as we handed them the instruments of power, they went crazy, and in three short years, they destroyed it all. So, I am not surprised that the government fell the way it did. I don’t blame Charrandass Persaud, … He expressed the frustrations many of us felt, both at the personal and political levels.” (Dec 2018 after the NC vote)
“I think the Coalition has to publicly apologize to its supporters and the country at large for betraying their trust.” (Jan 2019)
“I have been alarmed at the thinking of some members of this Coalition Government – that it is not the role of government to create jobs for citizens. This is a new thinking that is out of place in a country like Guyana … It is a thinking that has led and would continue to lead to the worst anti-people policies. To begin with, it is absurd for persons to ask citizens to vote them into government and then turn around and tell the very voters that it is not the role of government to provide for them.” (Sept 2019)
