‘It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, … ’Charles Dickens (1812 – 1870). Two consecutive letters in KN (Asquith Rose and Ubraj Narine July 29 & 30 respectively) aptly depicts the Dickenson mindset of these two learned gentlemen and leaves one wondering which regions of Guyana these two gentlemen are referring to.
Rose writes ‘Above all, our president has shown statesmanship in all his undertakings, which implies possessing the honesty and candor and the ability to stand up for what is fair and good for all Guyanese..’ Nothing could be further from the truth in regards to this analysis because a cursory glance in theawarding of contracts indicates quite the contrary as much of the multi- billion dollar projects are awarded to a huge preponderance of PPP supporters.
O the other hand, Ubraj Narine surmises ‘with the Ali-led PPP government has proven to be ineffective in safeguarding the well-being of its citizens. From the rising costs of living and poor quality of life to the surge in crime rates and unemployment, the government’s failures have had a significant impact on the Guyanese people.’ Mr. Narine has a grasp of the issues for, as shopping goes, you need a bag of money to take home a bag of groceries!
Rose continues: His Excellency is blessed with good and adept political leadership talents, excellent communication skills and a brilliant vision for Guyana. Has Rose ever listened to a speech by His Excellency? It is jerky, full of improper references and poorly read out; and talking of speech, does all Guyana recall the pre-election clamor and promise to renegotiate the oil contract? So much for the President’s honesty. In the context of a vision for Guyana the Head of State seems to effervesce when the word ‘contract’ pops up and crawls into his shell when any matter involving oil and gas surfaces. As for ‘brilliant’ my two cents worth indicates an arrogant man who had power thrust upon him.
Ubraj Narine indicates: ‘the burden on ordinary citizens has been further intensified by the government’s decision to impose taxes on essential food items. This regressive policy disproportionately affects the most vulnerable segments of society, pushing them deeper into poverty.’ Sadly,The PPP gov’t has failed to infuse a coordinated agriculture system (its piecemeal handing out of cash grants has withered like tomatoes in the sun) while simultaneously refuse to adjust tariffs and duties.
In the final analysis Guyana is heading towards totalitarian status; a heinous state that prevailed under the PNC dictatorship where one group-no matter their state of poverty- was content to declare: IS WE RULING! Has anything changed?
Leyland Chitlall Roopnaraine