Dear Editor,
On the first day of 2014, I read all of the messages from the political parties, but what stood out for me was the message from Brigadier (retired) David Granger, leader of the A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and Opposition Leader.
Granger’s message was focused on 2014 being the “year for workers” and he spoke of the challenges workers faced in 2013 and his wish that in 2014 “we all work together towards providing a good life for all Guyanese”.
As I reflected on Granger’s words and as a public servant myself, I could relate to some of the challenges, that workers face – the need for better labour relations, better remuneration, more jobs, better working conditions, and improved social services. No doubt these were the very issues Granger and his coalition of parties in APNU campaigned on in 2011 and were successful for the first time in our country’s history to secure a combined opposition majority in Parliament.
As a non-political person, I was concerned about how this would work, and whether the combined opposition – APNU and Alliance for Change (AFC) – would be able to put aside the political baggage of the People’s National Congress (PNC) era and political bitterness to work with the government to “put Guyana first” and to really “champion workers’ rights”.
Sadly, after two years of watching the charade in Parliament, and the rhetoric from the opposition politicians, I am very disillusioned about Guyana’s future. I ask myself, have APNU and AFC done enough work with the government to provide a good life for all Guyanese and to champion workers rights?
In my view, the answer to this question is a disappointing “no”. I cannot help but ask Granger the following questions:
How can Granger talk about creating job opportunities for Guyanese when he and his party voted down projects such as the Amaila Falls Hydro Electric Project that will create employment for Guyanese?
How can Granger talk about improving social services for Guyanese when he and his party voted down projects such as the Specialty Hospital, hinterland airstrips, and improving the Cheddi Jagan International Airport?
How can Granger talk about caring for workers’ rights when he and his party deliberately and vindictively cut budgets of key government entities such as the National Communications Network (NCN) and the Government Information Agency (GINA)?
Spare a thought for those employees and their families! Did Granger think of what kind of Christmas they would have had? Didn’t he think that some of them may have been his supporters as well, or is it because they work for government, that this makes them all anti-opposition and pro-People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C)?
For two successive years, we have seen the opposition parties spearhead the cutting of Guyana’s budget. This is unprecedented in our country as we have become accustomed to the opposition lobbying for government to allocate more funds for development initiatives. We are approaching the 2014 budget; will it be a repeat of the cuts?
Granger has been part of a party, the PNC, that took our country backward. Will history be repeating itself? Granger and his party will be judged not by the magnanimous speeches he makes at the beginning of the year, but by his actions thereafter.
Only time will tell, the ball is in his court.
Yours sincerely,
Christopher Persaud