Political blindness

AFC’s delusions
The AFC, through one of its spokesman, Dominic Gaskin, reviewed his party’s performance (antics?) at a press conference. It tells a lot about the state of our press in Guyana when Gaskin was allowed to get away with the rubbish he spouted. Then again, maybe in this season of goodwill, they cut him a whole lot of slack.
Gaskin defined the AFC as “the conscience of the nation”. God help us if this were to be so: we would have about as much conscience as Hitler on Jews. Was it “the conscience of the nation” that slashed funds that would’ve developed the poorest and most deprived section of our populace? No siree Bob! That was the work of a viciously cruel power-besotted AFC.
Gaskin then boasted about ‘the impeccable credentials’ of their Leader Trotman, which ended in “the other parliamentary parties accepting him to hold that critical position (Speaker)”!!! Which ‘other parliamentary parties’ accepted Trotman as Speaker. Is the AFC so cynical that they would alter history that’s not even history yet? Trotman became Speaker after the AFC cut a deal with APNU, which had rejected their original candidate Nagamootoo on patently racist grounds.
The PPP never voted for Trotman – and his performance since then has completely vindicated their mistrust. Gaskin then boasted about the “AFC led” budget cuts…which we mentioned above. With all their so-called big-shot lawyers (including one who thinks he ought to be “senior counsel”) they’re proud to be associated with a violation of the constitution – as ruled preliminarily by the chief justice.
Even more callously, as the chief justice frames his permanent judgement, the AFC has embarked on a dirty campaign to intimidate him. They are trying to place the CJ in a double bind: by asserting that because he is ‘acting’ in the position, they’re saying he’ll sing for his supper and rule for the government! These lawyers ought to be disbarred for making this frontal attack of the judiciary.
The AFC next had the chutzpah to take credit for the increase in Old Age Pensions that had been negotiated by the APNU with the president, as a quid pro quo for agreement on the tariff equalisation on the Linden electricity. It was the AFC that sabotaged the overall agreement – by crying “APNU betrayal” and “PNC racial spitefulness”! And it was the president’s magnanimity that kept the increase in place. AFC wankers!!
Stalling and stymieing
The opposition, contrary to its protestations on the division of powers between the executive, legislature and the judiciary, is determined to act as if the sovereignty lies exclusively in the legislature. This is not surprising inasmuch they control the legislature by their one seat majority caused by the fusion of the AFC and the PNC/APNU.
We had the instance where Speaker Trotman refused to follow the advice of his own legal advisors that he couldn’t gag Home Affairs Minister Rohee with their “motion of no confidence”. He went ahead with a subterfuge he suggested to his sponsors in the opposition to commit the same effect by passing the determination of Rohee’s freedom of speech to the Committee of Privileges!
Rohee is sent to a committee that determines whether a member has breached his privileges – when no one is asserting he breached a privilege! Not even the opposition. The Speaker turns logic on its head by insisting that Rohee must be gagged until the committee determines whether he is violating his privileges!
Then Granger files a summons that effectively halts efforts by the AG to have the court decide whether Trotman exceeded his powers. Dictatorship of the Legislature!
Opposition above the law?
The law is that everyone who wants a TV licence must apply for one so they can be vetted according to established procedures. So because the government promised Region 10 a licence they are beyond the law? So says Granger! So is the government handing out licences now?