Is this what AFC supporters voted for?

Dear Editor,

I ask my sisters and brothers who voted for the AFC: Is this what they voted for? April 25-26 were among the darkest and worst days in our legislative and political history. We witnessed the worst betrayal of people we could imagine and saw examples of spite and naked vindictiveness. The fact is the AFC combined with APNU to take revenge, to be spiteful. The end result was the victimization of ordinary Guyanese, the loss of jobs by people, young and experienced professionals, and a deliberate effort to stall Guyana’s development trajectory. This is what the $20.3B cut in the National Budget was about. The truth is what happened in our Parliament this past week was an absolute betrayal of trust.

I saw tears wetting the cheeks of honest and hardworking people. I saw anxiety, uncertainty and fear among our brothers and sisters. I heard the cry of a nation as ordinary people wanted to know why the MPs from APNU and the AFC were so heartless, uncaring and unmindful of the progress our nation has achieved. I was saddened by the response of MPs from the opposition – they merely smiled with smugness. Khemraj Ramjattan and the AFC described the loss of jobs in GINA as merely “collateral damage.” Carl Greenidge and APNU simply described their efforts to stall development in Guyana as political fallout.

In other words, both APNU and AFC concluded that the Guyanese people and their welfare were pawns in a game for political power. In contrast, President Donald Ramotar and the PPP/C remain committed to the Guyanese people and to our nation. We will not sacrifice the welfare of our country and that of our people on the altar of political expediency and in a game for power. President Ramotar made it clear when he stated that “my faith in dialogue remains undiminished.”

Yet all is not lost. The last word, you see, belongs to the people, not the politicians. I am encouraged because I have witnessed the resolve of my sisters and brothers everywhere to fight back. I saw my sisters and brothers stare back with defiance. I saw people who lifted their heads and looked directly into the eyes of the opposition and defied them, swearing we will not allow Guyana to revert back to what it was in the old days. If ever there was an anti-people action, we saw it displayed on Thursday and Friday in Parliament. When the AFC joined APNU to cut the National Budget by $20.3B they really voted against the Guyanese people. I, therefore, ask my sisters and brothers who voted for the AFC, is this what they voted for?

Did they vote against more reliable and more affordable electricity? Did they give Messrs Ramjattan, Nagamootoo and Ramayah the right to vote against hydroelectricity? When they voted against the Amaila Hydroelectricity Project, they voted to prevent one of the most important developmental projects for Guyana. This project would have ensured adequate electricity generation for our country, reduced the fuel importation cost for Guyana and reduced electricity charges for our people. By shifting to hydroelectricity, Guyana would have further increased our carbon credits, allowing us to earn more $US through selling our carbon credits. The vote against this LCDS project, therefore, was a vote against development and against the Guyanese people. It was a vote that will see higher rates for electricity. I ask my sisters and brothers who voted for the AFC, is this what they voted for?

Did they really vote for the AFC to have them join with APNU to stop subsidy of the electricity charges for people? Their MPs reduced the budgetary allocation for GPL. This allocation was important to ensure that rising global oil prices do not cause an increase in electricity charges for Guyanese. Government has consistently allocated funds to GPL to ensure we build capacity and that electricity charges are kept as low as possible.

The Amaila project is a long-term remedy and the GPL subsidy is a short-term remedy. Their MPs voted against both. They voted to ensure that today and tomorrow, our electricity supply will be unreliable and electricity charges would be high.

Did they vote to ensure floods continue to be a big problem for people in Mahaica, Mahaicony and Abary? The opposition MPs stopped the reconstruction of the Cunha channel and sluice which are necessary to increase the release of water from the East Demerara Water Conservancy into the Demerara River and improve drainage for the lands along the Linden Highway.

Let me explain why we need this project. Remember, when the PNC government brought in Barama? They re-aligned the Cunha Channel to a smaller and circuitous discharge channel that reduced and then eliminated any discharge from the Cunha Channel into the Demerara River.

This misguided act increased the risk for flooding in the MMA area and also reduced the possibility of livelihood for people living in areas such as Laluni and Badrima. When their MPs voted against the LCDS, they voted to prevent people from making better lives, to keep flood as part of our lives. Really, is this what they voted for?

In a most startling example of irresponsible behaviour, the opposition cut 100% of the budget for CANU. In a country where illegal drugs and crime present us with a huge social, economic and security challenge, how can we fathom this most reprehensible act? Now, the vote for the AFC is being used to ensure CANU cannot build its capacity to fight cocaine and other illegal drugs and the crimes associated with drugs. I know they did not vote for this.

Did they give them the right to stop this country’s heroic efforts to give land titles to the Amerindians for their land, to take away their fundamental rights? The opposition voted to stop the land titling and land demarcation exercise in American communities, punishing the Amerindian people.

Who gave permission to the AFC to join with APNU to reduce the budget for the One Laptop Per Family programme? This programme is to ensure that children and parents from poor families are not left behind in this new technology-based world. It is to ensure we create equity among our children and our families. Yet they voted against this very important programme. They ignored the fact that China has provided a grant that will pay for a large number of those computers. All we need to do is spend about $170M to build the infrastructure and the training hubs. They blocked that and, therefore, blocked the whole programme. Did those who voted for the AFC intend to give the party that power?

The opposition voted to stop the fibre optic lines from Moleson Creek to Anna Regina and from Lethem to Georgetown, with the clear intention of depriving ordinary Guyanese from being able to access affordable internet services. Who gave such an authorization to the AFC to combine with APNU to deprive ordinary Guyanese of reliable and affordable access to the internet?   Remember they had promised they would never join with APNU? They have today betrayed that promise.

Everyone throughout Guyana joined with Cheddi Jagan to create a country of unity and harmony. The PPP/C government established an Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) to ensure that unity in our country was promoted, and to take action to prevent ethnic discrimination. In a sheer naked example of vindictiveness they voted to cut 100% funding for the ERC.

Who gave the AFC authority to join with APNU to take away people’s jobs? When persons voted for the AFC, did they vote for them to take away people’s jobs and then call it “collateral damage”? Each one of the cuts I described above means the loss of jobs directly and many more indirectly. But there were more job cuts too. The ICT programme was meant to create thousands of jobs. The 100% cut for GINA sent home almost 40 young Guyanese professionals. The 100% cut for the government allocation to NCN threatens the jobs of more Guyanese professionals and will deprive people of TV in many parts of the country. The 100% cut for the State Planning Unit at the Ministry of Finance will reduce capacity at the Ministry of Finance and leave many persons on the breadline.

Comrades, we have come a long way. I can’t say we have no reason to be disappointed with the performance of the PPP/C since 1992. But we must concede Guyana is better today than it was in 1992. We have not solved all the problems. But we work hard and we are committed to better lives for all Guyanese, not for some. We have stood with the people in good times and in bad times. We might not always satisfy everyone at the same time, and we could have done some things better. But we have never betrayed the voters and we have never used them as pawns to fight for power.

I ask today, did people vote for the AFC to join with APNU? They say they have a majority. But I know that the PPP/C has 32 seats, APNU has 26 seats and AFC has merely 7 seats. Did voters give them a majority? Did they really mean for them to stand with APNU to stop the government from further improving our country and our lives? The AFC has betrayed its supporters. They have betrayed their trust.

Yours faithfully,
Leslie Ramsammy
Minister of Agriculture