…Prezzie
Confession, they say, is good for the soul. So, we can be certain that Prezzie’s “Confession of Georgia” about always being a “true-purple” Burnhamite, must’ve done wonders for his soul. The question, however, is what has it done for his political currency? After all, souls don’t vote in elections, bodies do. And if those bodies aren’t one with his confession, there might be trouble ahead!
While many looked at the AFC as the ally that brought the coalition victory in 2015, not enough attention was placed on the WPA’s role in giving the PNC respectability by covering their spots in APNU. “Respectability” – not necessarily to the Indian voter – but to the middle class African and Mixed sceptics who weren’t convinced the street-battles of the post-1997 PNC were the vehicle to deliver the chalice of power to them.
The WPA provided that respectability. It was the dream team for them: the brawns of the PNC with the brains of the WPA. During the seventies, the WPA had degutted the PNC in the moral plane by the principled positions they took on the national questions of the day. While most of them may have swallowed hard and voted for the PNC when the vote was “free and fair” in 1992, it wasn’t something they were proud about. In 2015, they could have their (PNC) cake and eat it too – courtesy of the WPA sanitisation!
So, after Prezzie’s confession, WPA Exec Ogunseye fired off a missive that was more of a missile! Calling it “disturbing” and “surprising” Ogunseye figured Prezzie was either floating a trial balloon on the PNC going it alone in 2020; or alternately bigging-up his PNC credentials to oppose those in the party who may want to do so. Well, Mr Ogunseye seems to be waking up a bit late to smell the coffee, which the PNC, under Prezzie, has been brewing!
Ogunseye would know Roopnaraine almost singlehandedly brought about the PNC-WPA Alliance – going back all the way to Desmond Hoyte. So when Prezzie pretty much FIRED Roopnaraine last June 13 – the anniversary of Walter Rodney’s assassination, he should’ve read the writing on the wall! Fact of the matter, Prezzie and the PNC have no use for the WPA anymore. The ones who they can get some use out of, like Clive Thomas, they’ll keep. Others like Ogunseye will be discarded!
But Prezzie has also come under fire from the one-man party OVP for claiming he’s a “real” Burnhamite. Not so! Cried the “one man”. If he were, why didn’t he oppose Desmond Hoyte back in 1992 like Hamilton Green?
But jeez! The Americans would’ve also been strong-arming Prezzie, wouldn’t they?!!
…Jordan
Your Eyewitness caught sight of one of the giant posters placed around the country with a huge pic of Finance Minister Jordan smirking like the Cheshire cat!! Is this another Burnhamite practice being revived? But those were about exhortations like “PRODUCE OR PERISH!” or “THE SMALL MAN IS THE REAL MAN” and such like.
The only picture allowed was that of Burnham! Those were placed even on exercise books – and more than anything else, caused Guyana to plunge to the bottom of the Caribbean standings in education!! Not easy to focus on Maths with Burnham staring morosely at you!! But the poster just highlighted Jordan’s muddle?
Here he was – in front of a highway with the Budget slogans for 2015 and 2016 proceeding in the left lane. The 2017 Budget (which is supposedly coming up) however was placed going in the same direction – BUT IN THE OPPOSITE LANE!!
Doesn’t Jordan realise his budget’s going to collide with incoming traffic?? Like reality?
…the VC
Like Finance Minister Jordan, UG’s VC Griffith boasted his graduating class was the BIGGEST ever! Now after the shameful SNAFU’s that marred the event, he accepts there was “poor planning.”
Shouldn’t he do the honourable thing and resign? Like he had to do at Fort Valley State?
