APNU!? What partnership? What national? What unity?

Hardly likely I’ll ever live to see…

Because I’ve been at this repeatedly over past years, I must be brief, succinct.

It was farcical from its beginning!

The Brigadier’s “partnership” for “national unity”, along with a then strategic coalition with the AFC, was intended to foist the (sometimes) acceptable) concept of “coalition politics” upon a weary electorate. Culminating in electoral triumph in 2015 partly because an arrogant PPP disrespected its electoral arithmetic.

(Hopes for a vibrant third force AFC were long dashed when that “alliance” produced no “change but instead became compliant opportunists merely enjoying the perks of political authority.)

Now I’m aware that, still in the midst of the responses to the pandemic locally along with the woes of devastated farmers who are victims of our recent floods, not too many countrymen/women will be interested in anything PPP, PNC or “APNU”. Understandable! Fair enough, as just living a reasonable existence in the vicinity of poverty lines excludes concentration on our sordid petty but disruptive politics.

However I’ve chosen this issue today because both as a former by-gone PNC – People’s National Congress – supporter and elections operative and as a reasonably–intelligent over–75 patriot, I’m fed-up with this great political lie and deception about some “APNU”. Perhaps I’m more “haunted” by Granger’s strategy to present some fake “national cohesion front” to an indifferent society, because I didn’t voice any exposure when I voted “APNU/AFC” in 2015. How could I? Then I just wanted the PPP gone! Poor me. Once again I’m far wiser now. Not that I’ll embrace everything PPP now either.

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Current leadership mischief backfires?

Now those of us still a little interested are being made aware of alleged turmoil in the PNC leadership over the induction into Granger’s PNC/APNU of two new “political parties” led by young Afro/Indo “leaders”. The “parties’” names attract my humorous interest: Equal Rights and Justice Party and Guyana Nation-Builders Movement – an entire new movement! No doubt the Brigadier will soon inspire leaders Sharma and Sarabo to reveal their membership numbers, executives and agendas.

What an insult to both the normal and political intelligence of our collective electorate. Or is it intended for levity/comedy/stress-reliefs. Or to send some “message” to the comatose AFC?

“APNU” boasts the Guyana Action Party (GAP) and a National Front Alliance (NFA) what actually are those? (I might vote for the NFA in my next life because its “leader” Keith Scott is a likeable teaching batchmate (1964-66) of my mine. Whose only claim to fame is his mother – the late PNC pioneer Margaret Ackman!) Recall the Brigadier’s comments about cardboard parties?

It’s sad local political commentary when a still-necessary political entity like the PNC has to list fake entities – GAP, NFA, GNBM and ERJP – to bolster its surrogate, loyalist, tribalist image. The PPP has to be smiling. Protests or no protests!

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Any sense hoping to see…

As promised, just another edition of all that I wished to experience here but don’t think I’ll ever live to see.

• Courteous young public servants not still using “vouchers and ledgers” • Acceptable private sector customer service • A capital city clean, properly-zoned, with strictly regulated vending and appropriate parking spaces – this one an impossible dream? • A national cemetery suitable for a civilized society • A new abattoir that encourages me to continue eating meats. • The completion of the Sheriff Street/Mandela Highway.

With Covid-19 and my steadily-creeping age. I don’t feel I have many many years left. However I won’t mind being proven wrong about me and the foregoing.

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Lots to ponder today…

Did you see the excellent well-laid out fields of marijuana the police destroyed along the Canje River last week-end? 20,000 plants!

Two gun–toting “farmers” escaped. Should not those fellows be recruited as regular farmers?

The daily–letter writer now makes me regret that I did not follow my wife and three daughters to become US American citizens. I could have called on Ambassador Sarah and the entire US Congress for attention to my personal safety. That US passport is the way to go. (Get to the Southern borders, you hopefuls.)

Again I call on editors and young journalists: keep at it with computers and cameras as you monitor weekly just how the contractors are building that Georgetown Sheriff Street/Mandela Highway. Is it becoming a scandal in plain sight?

If the government offers children and parents $40,000 each and one free meal in school daily, would the PNC still dissent?

If you like football consider: should vital finals be decided on penalty kicks or toss-of-coins? After two hours two tired goal-keepers have to face ten strikers! How fair? Why not play until a team scores? Health concerns?

The Republicans in the US political spaces are railing against big tech. what would some young political types here do without Facebook?

Another farewell again – “Dick Tiger” Green, husband of a former City Mayor, has taken the TKO count. R,I,P. Champ. Formal farewell today.

`Til next week

(allanafenty@yahoo.com)