…two
It doesn’t really matter how many of the mushroom parties made it to Nomination Day, does it?? In the scheme of things – as they developed after 2015 – there were always going to be only two parties standing: the PPP and PNC. That was no mystery – much less the Agatha Christie bestselling one that started out with “10 Little Indians” and ended with “none”.
One just had look at the hoopla the two “big ones” made as they descended into the Umana Yana to file their nominations to tell this tale. Nomination Day is a Guyanese institution –– and all the minnows knew it. They knew if they were able to muster up a decent crowd to put on a show (of force?!) they’d earn some credibility. But they just couldn’t. Just getting those signatures from six regions plus the one for their top-up list wore them out!!
So all those who’ve been holding their breaths for a “third force” to duplicate what happened in 2006 and 2011 with the AFC better exhale right now!! Didn’t happen and ain’t gonna happen! Imagine these pipsqueaks didn’t even have the common sense to appreciate that unless they hang together, they’d certainly hang separately! So even that inconsequential promised fusion of the two lawyer-dominated utopians fell apart and they all went separately. And will definitely be hanging in the same manner!!
So what’d we see from the two main contestants that will be duking it out over the less than two months left to March 2nd? The more raucous PNC crowd was expected: Georgetown is their stamping-ground and it doesn’t take more than an offer of fried rice at the end of the day to get out the lumpen elements – especially of the female persuasion, to come out for another wine-down! What was noticeable were so many of the female PNC ministers getting down and dirty with the music. While all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy, surely these Ministers should retain some modicum of good taste if they expect to retain any shred of respect from the citizenry afterwards!!
The PPP?? They were able to pull off a rousing Nomination Day march from their headquarters on Robb Street to the Umana Yana. That destination, itself, sent a message as to why their foe, the PNC, is just mouthing slogans and will be rejected by the people come March 2nd? Why? Well, for years, they have flagellated the PPP for “allowing” City Hall to fall into disrepair. So what have they done in their five years at the helm??
They couldn’t even have the Nominations presented at that locale: couldn’t risk Granger falling through the floor!!
…“see-far” pretentions
Granger has been trained in history – at our expense, thank you at UG and UWI!! In that discipline, you learn how to look back but not with anger, as Granger is one to do. And that’s why Granger’s absolutely the wrong man for the job of steering the ship of state of Guyana right now, as PPP candidate Irfaan Ali pointed out. “Full steam ahead!” he cried even on Nomination Day, even as his head was turned firmly at the past!! If we were in colder climes, you’d worry we’d be hitting an iceberg! But as Ali said, he’s steering a sinking ship and boasts it’s because it’s laden with goodies!!
But remarkably, Granger has now declared he’s a “see-far” man – ie someone with the gift of seeing far into the future. Your Eyewitness figures the man is so clueless, that after someone must’ve told him that Guyana needs a “visionary” leader, he consulted his thesaurus and saw “far-seeing”.
And commandeered that GDF helicopter to see far ahead!!
…the humiliation of Ramjattan
Your Eyewitness was embarrassed to see Ramjattan with his canary-yellow shirt on Nomination Day, standing out in that sea of boisterous green.
He looked frantically around, wondering “where have all the yellow gone?”
