Dear Editor,
One of the greatest insults to the present rule of the PPP has to be the fact that that pariah of 24 years of dictatorship, hardship, corruption and economic destitution known as the PNC and now APNU can legitimately and rightly attack the PPP for all its shameful shenanigans. The fact that the PPP has fallen so far that men like Corbin, Granger and Greenidge could rightfully lecture them for their pilfering, pocket-filling and wrongdoing should wake up those who still support the PPP to the fact that the PPP is heading off a cliff. The fact that the PPP rule has become so tainted that the APNU could now preach transparency and accountability to it has to be the greatest slap in the face of the party of Cheddi Jagan. Who would have thought that the APNU is now leading a charge for transparency in Guyana as part of a parliamentary majority. This could not have happened if some led by Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar as party leader had not hijacked the PPP and killed the little democracy it had.
A profound sense of shame should be consuming the PPP now that the PNC-APNU could, with justification, expose it for its corruption and cronyism.
The political grandstanding by President Ramotar in alleging that the opposition rigged the elections was an insight into how the PPP views its role in the political landscape, how it perceives its own supporters, the mindset that thrives in Freedom House and how it intends to react to political pressure to change for the betterment of Guyana. Firstly, the PPP believes it can win a majority with a snap election. They are deluded. Completely bonkers. Out of their minds. The PPP cannot win a majority. Nothing’s changed. In fact, when I look at Juan Edghill as Junior Finance Minister, the continued presence of Clement Rohee, the promotion of that celebrated incompetent, Robert Persaud as Natural Resources Minister and men like Odinga Lumumba, Joseph Hamilton and Kwame McCoy floating around the PPP, I know that things have gotten worse. Secondly, the PPP sees itself as a majority party. Reality has not yet hit it across the head.
Thirdly, the PPP still genuinely believes Indians are moved by fear. Ramotar’s allegation of electoral rigging was intended to drive fear in its Indian supporters. Because of the ethnic composition of the armed forces, Indians genuinely fear the PNC returning to power.
However, that fear is dying in large sections of the Indian population. Berbice showed the PPP this during the elections. Protests in several Indian communities and sugar centres showed the PPP after the election. The days of the fear-filled Indian are slipping away and the PPP can’t see it. Further, Indians and other PPP supporters now know how to deliver minority government to the PPP. They will do it again with a smaller plurality if the PPP calls a snap election. Indians also know that this current political arrangement is the best medicine for the PPP to hopefully fix its broken ways. Many PPP supporters want to see Parliament last the full five years in the hope that transparency and accountability is restored in Guyana and in the PPP.
Fourthly, the PPP is still a spoilt child. It has not adjusted to the new political reality. It believes the days of bullyism are still here. Instead of coming up with a plan to generate bipartisanship, it decided that at the first sign of resistance to its suspicious activities, it will run to the electorate and get a majority. It will not work. Not with this version of the PPP. Unless the PPP tries a healthy dose of internal democracy and seeks some new untainted leadership, it will continue to sink further.
At this rate, it can only last two elections. If it foolishly plans to call one very soon, it is bringing forward its demise, which means it will likely last only five years.
Yours faithfully,
M Maxwell
