The Marriott should go on

TIMES INT'L

Dear Editor,
There is nothing new under the sun and that is why I am not surprised by the opposition and its naughty use of the one-seat majority vote.
This time it was a vote in favour of a motion, by Alliance For Change member, Khemraj Ramjattan, titled, “Public Monies on Marriott Hotel to be halted until approval by the National Assembly.” This kind of infantile behaviour is most uncalled for, and it smacks of personal vendetta. I recall just a few months back, overseas visitors simply could not get adequate accommodation in Guyana. They did complain, making a call for better local preparation for visitors.
The situation then demanded an expansion of the hotel industry in Guyana. So to simply vote against Marriott’s funding is quite annoying and most subversive as regards national development. It brings to mind the wild slashing of the budgetary allocation for the One Laptop Per Family (OLPF) project.
The very people who complained about better quality of life were the ones to impede that which they were carping about. This clearly tells me that the joint opposition is not about national well-being.
The Marriott still seems destined for completion. Local businessmen have expressed a desire and willingness to step in and help finance the project, making it a private sector initiative.
What was extremely revealing was that the opposition was not asking for more scrutiny, openness or accountability on the project; it wanted to stop the project altogether. This is like saying that the project should be quashed. I add here that even the temporary sidelining of the project means negative repercussions, especially in the area of employment, current and long term.
So it is most obvious that members of the opposition are not too keen about the well-being and earning potential of Guyanese.
I am not very ‘au fait’ regarding how this stymieing can be overcome. So I am urging the stakeholders to move with urgency and make Marriott a reality as quickly as possible.

Yours truly,
Pertab Loachan

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