The Piper: Guyanese should take a bow and an exit lesson for the PPP/C

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The PiperGuyanese should take a bow and an exit lesson for the PPP/C

 By The Piper

Few things in a nation’s life are more exhilarating than a general election, and the May 11 polls in Guyana demonstrate that our country is no different. For months the contesting parties sung their mantras and mobilized their forces. That is now the past. The posters, flags, buntings, and balloons may soon have now come down and the task of governing by the newly controversially elected APNU-AFC coalition has begun.

If the first week in the life of the new administration is any indication of things to come, the nation is about to witness both sweeping changes and dogged persistence of the familiar amalgam of contentious politics. And yes some amount of confusion in the naming and renaming of ministries.

Through all of this, the citizens of Guyana showed the restraint and discipline that textbooks on politics in ethnically divided societies dream about. You see, against tremendous odds, this small laboratory of postcolonial politics has shown that democracy is possible even under the most aggrieved circumstances. For these reasons, the Guyanese people should stand up and take a bow.

The PPP/C governed for twenty three years, albeit the last three were very much defined by the loss of its parliamentary majority. In a little over two decades the party that has historically claimed to be on the side of the working class delivered real benefits to the masses, but also left sufficient problems to warrant both careful scrutiny and deep reflection, not least on its own part.

The accomplishments of the PPP/C are many but mostly economic in nature, some of it but by no means most, building on the new path introduced by President Hugh Desmond Hoyte. The macro-economic environment went from structural debilitation to structural stability, the latter widely acknowledged even by the ABC countries and international financial institutions. The GDP expanded voluminously and new sectors of economic activity, especially in services, are bound to be of long term benefit.

The PPP/C can also justifiably claim that it put into place infrastructural capabilities and the requisite environment for such large scale investments as in oil exploration. At the consumer end of things, Guyanese were availed all the products associated with mass consumption.

Despite its accomplishments on the economic side of things, and putting aside the current claims of GECOM irregularities on May 11, the party would be well advised to ask what went wrong. A few things come to mind, but they all fit into one grand miscalculation.

The PPP/C has always assumed that if you get the economics right, good shall come on the political front. Two problems arise with this assumption. Firstly, big projects yield results only in the long term. Secondly, human beings want more than things material. The rush to build roads all over the country was particularly harmful to the PPP because it became riddled with pot holes not long after completion. Long lines for government services as is the case with getting a driving license or passport gave the impression of abandonment. Upon retirement workers encountered an NIS more as a nightmare than a source of comfort.

The dark economy of everyday bribery for small things at government agencies and traffic police stops continued without aggressive intervention. A dysfunctional emergency 911 system accentuated an already dismal sense of personal security. The list is long but I know you get the point. Narratives of incompetence were easily culled from these mundane problems.

The people wanted change and either with or without irregularities at GECOM (which it must address), a new administration has been sworn in. One can only hope the APNU+AFC realises that promises at elections are easy to make but hard to keep. Some are already pointing to signs of nepotism, infighting and confusion within the one-week old new coalition government. Be careful because at election time, the small man is the real man.

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13 COMMENTS

  1. Come on we need this change ,fair or un fair rig or not ,too much of one thing is good for nothing ,23years is enough ,we want some fresh air man ,when a govt, is in power for too long ,this is what we get ,lawlessness corruption ,disrespect ,evil ,people Pinckney party , family and friend get rich ,rich get richer poor get poorer

  2. Why are some people so backward when the AFC seat was stolen by the ppp where was your voice the 2011 election were flawed what did u say u thought that the ppp have the transport for Guyana no way remember nothing is cast in stone if u do well u would be accepted but if not u would be rejected u have been shown the door use it and please stop bitching nonsense. For good always win over evil the destruction of the wicked is sure

  3. Great column! The actions of the Chairman of GECOM is highly suspicious and suggestive of something sinister, and the reason why 202,000+ Guyanese feel cheated. With all of his high standards and claims of a perfect system he should have been the first to declare the elections null and void when fake SOPs were discovered. One is only left to conclude there was collusion on his part with others to orchestrate the outcome that we saw. Right is right, fair is fair. And why did Mr Carter really leave in such a hurry? Is it that he already knew what the outcome would have been, and so it really didn’t matter to him to remain until after the election? Just saying.

  4. There’s no time to waste pointing fingers at gecom. All the other observers said it was free and fair.what we should do is stop listening to those wolves in sheep clothing and live our lives.if the ppp was interested in the affairs of the country each school would have had adequate staff, salaries would have been better and we all know the rest.

  5. Hey you folks seems to be suffering from selective amnesia.what happened to the ballot boxes seals that were found onthe East Coast and other places during the 2011 elections? What did the opposition do?what abput the parliamentary seat that the AFC was denied? Forgetting come on man you folks need some memory enhancing pills.

  6. Well said Piper..Regular objective analysis like this must continue to keep this government on its toes.I look forward to next week.
    Coolie Bully and Jon, leave the brain dead and join the living.

  7. Piper: U hit the nail bang on::: Those that worked the passport and PPPC offices and the majority bribe takers vote PNC and will remain there under this new PNC rule..Lets see if they will pick up that 911 call. Lets see if those traffic coppers and the other who vote PNC will change their attitude of “leff ah lil ting nuh” U think 10% raise in the wages will stop it? Same players different rulers lol ..Our Mayor for Life pledged to wok with his PNC buddies in cleaning up Georgetown…He must first clean up the cesspool of filth that work at city hall..They sound like fish market vendors living large of the hard working tax payers backs..Kepp it up Piper..

  8. Well said indeed! Totally agree that GECOM MUST address this issue of the fake SOPs and if I might add, the recount requested by the PPPC is in keeping with their democratic right. GECOM can’t continue to deny them this right any longer. For a man or woman cannot be governed by another without the consent of the other!!!

  9. Whatever you say is of your opinion. The new government should never have been sworn in before a recount or that went wrong within GECOM was rectified. Why did Stevie want to announce a winner so fast? Was he threatened or was he bribed? Enquiring minds wants to know. The only truth behind all of this is a recount. If a recount is not given then Guyanese people will finally realize that they have no rights because all was taken with the rigging of the results.

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