Dear Editor,
The 28 years of PNC dictatorship, which has received enormous criticism, should not be an excuse for the PPP to continue the carnival of corruption and pantheon of problems Guyanese citizens face on a daily basis. The PPP came into power in 1992 knowing exactly the state of affairs in Guyana. Their campaign in the public, in the written media, in particular, the Mirror, as well as in the ‘bottom house’ discussions revealed these dynamics. The PPP appeared and appealed to the majority of Guyanese as if they would save them from the PNC.
They purported that they were the only ones who knew what was best for Guyana, and their supporters sincerely believed this rhetoric. What has happened since 1992? Do people really think that the PNC has contributed to all of Guyana’s problems? The defenders of the PPP seem to nourish and nurture this thought.
When a government assumes power it should deliver to the people under the most challenging of conditions or step down. This government has not remotely met this basic responsibility; in fact, this government has buckled under pressure. To be honest, I do not think this government has the political will or the skills to deliver to the Guyanese people. It has stumbled from crisis to crisis even with support.
The quality of life measured not only by GDP growth rates but by health, education, life expectancy, individual purchasing power and the availability of life choices reveals the foibles of this administration. The PPP has become a major part of Guyana’s problem rather than the solution. The current leader of the PPP is an officiator rather than a leader. He ranks very low among Caribbean leaders, who for the most part, are themselves, ranked low among world leaders.
The consequences are that a political culture of paternalism, personalism, bureaucratic authoritarianism, corporativism, client-patron systems has developed and enveloped Guyana under the disguise of limited democracy. Guyana’s problem is really the absence of sound leadership and a constant tug-of-war between the PPP and the PNC. How much more of this can Guyanese take? We hope that this would not be case in the next election. There must be more options.
Yours faithfully,
Lomarsh Roopnarine
