No surprise that PPP stalwarts are trying to score political points

Dear Editor,

It is no surprise that the likes of Clement Rohee, the People’s Progressive Party General Secretary during his February 17 press conference, and Hydar Ally, PPP political activist in a letter to the Stabroek News on February 18, are attempting to paint the AFC-APNU alliance as a mere coalition of convenience to score political points and power.

These gentleman and others know very well that Guyana is currently experiencing moral decay such as we have not experienced before.

They also know the plight of the poor has become worse in the past several years for many reasons. They also see the hurt of police brutality; the rise of organized crime; the proliferation of narco-trafficking; wanton corruption; politically inspired imprisonment; harassment of high profile government critics by the PPP and its agents; the politically inspired termination of the contracts of some Government critics; gross human rights violations; schemes to destabilize sections of the independent media; the struggles and hopelessness of many of our youths; the fact that at least two Guyanese citizens sought asylum in a foreign country for fear of political victimization here in Guyana; and the cry of Guyanese for an end to race-based politics and winner take all governance, etc.

These gentleman know this; they also know the limitations and weaknesses of the PPP and the PPP government, yet they write and speak as though they are blind, uncaring and unconcerned about these issues that have evolved during the tenure of the PPP majority in Parliament and government.

The people of Guyana have a right to be upset because the PPP has used them, lied to them and instead of being a party which ushers in genuine change they have perfected the acts that go hand in hand with authoritarian rule. We have a right to determine who is best suited to lead our country out of this 50-year-old quagmire of political instability which keeps the poor, poor and makes the rich richer.

The PPP has had 22 years to lead this country, to heal the socially constructed ethnic fears and strife, to establish a number of constitutional commissions and to lead on constitutional reform; and nineteen years to implement local government elections, etc, but has chosen to keep us locked in a cycle of fear, insecurity and race-based politics. Now who is really keeping Guyana back? And what is their interest in doing so? Who will suffer if this situation continues and who prospers from continued instability? There is no turning back for a better Guyana, the time is now. Clearly it is the PPP that wants to maintain the status quo so we all can be brainwashed servants of the PPP.

Well let me repeat again, those days are long over, my support is fully behind those who genuinely care for and want to live in a more peaceful and prosperous Guyana.

 Yours faithfully,

M Archer