Home Letters APNU/AFC must stop playing ghetto politics and inflicting lies on Guyanese
Dear Editor,
The leadership of the coalition APNU/AFC must cease creating a false narrative and spreading propaganda, and instead be honest with their supporters and the people of Guyana. During a recent visit to Region 10, some APNU/AFC MPs were giving the false impression that they were cheated during the March 2,2020 regional and general elections.
The APNU/AFC must realise that Guyanese are not masochists – you cannot expect your supporters to vote for you and you try to create scenarios whereby the dead are alleged to have awoken and walked and voted and then walked back into the graves.
It was quite obvious from all the conspiracies, the deceitful manipulations and erratic shenanigans, that the APNU/AFC leaders were aware from the second day after the 2020 regional and general elections that they had lost the elections. Trying to create mischief among their support base in Region 10, they are now telling the last of their supporters that the PPP/C’s intention is to give pittance to Lindeners who support them while they plunder the treasury and keep Linden and Region 10 from becoming viable and economically sustainable communities. However, this will not cut, Region #10 was privileged to witness a first President and Cabinet outreach, followed by one week of ministers’ follow-up throughout the region, which never happened under the APNU- AFC administration.
It is disrespectful when politicians feel and think they can play with the intelligence of their supporters and the Guyanese people, like the APNU/AFC leadership is doing presently.
APNU/AFC leadership, please stop pushing propaganda among your support base. It is not right. It does not help them. They all must know what you are saying is ludicrous. We are no longer in the 70s and 80s, when brainwashing was the norm. The people of Guyana and Region 10 are smarter than you think.
Lindeners, Guyanese, the next time you see an APNU/AFC leader, just ask them to show you their SOPs for the 2020 Regional and General Elections. The numerous instances of irregularities, discrepancies and anomalies which they claim to have uncovered during the recount process – amounting to fraud on the Guyanese people – apparently APNU/AFC leaders and the Opposition feel it is okay to play ghetto politics in Region #10. Last Saturday, through the APNU/AFC People’s Parliament held in front of the car park and in some communities, they used these events to score some cheap points and inflict lies on some unsuspecting folks in other locales. My question to the Opposition is: Isn’t the COVID-19 pandemic enough of a burden for Guyanese and Lindeners.
We are a diverse people. Even in the midst of the challenges we are forced to endure because of COVID-19, we are on the verge of historic change and prosperity. With decisions and developments of our PPP/C Government in the last six months having spoken for themselves, I ask you, the Opposition, to allow Lindeners and Guyanese to enter this new era united and confident in the future that is paved for them by President Dr Irfaan Ali and the People’s Progressive Party Civic Government.
West Watooka, a farming community located in Region 10, will soon benefit from a multi-million-dollar ($174M) contract water conservancy as part of the Government’s efforts to ensure farmers benefit from irrigation throughout the year. This was made possible through the intervention of Minister of Agriculture Zulfikar Mustapha after he held an outreach to several communities in the Upper Demerara-Berbice (Region 10) last month.
These were people who cried to you, APNU/AFC; what did you do?
Through the Ministry of Education, arrangements have already been made for 4500 scholarships to be awarded to some top-level foreign universities on their in-line platforms. The programmes include Bachelor’s, Master’s and beyond in a host of subject areas – from Accountancy to Zoology, and not forgetting engineering and computer sciences and hundreds more! This is evidently part of the 20,000 scholarships in five years the Government promised.
Guyana’s prospects have never been more promising.
The housing sector was in disarray, with unacceptably low levels of house lots and housing units being allocated or completed under you, the APNU/AFC. Today I am proud to say the Ministry of Housing and Water has managed to allocate over 3,500 house lots since the People’s Progressive Party/Civic took office – which is half of the amount that was issued during the APNU-AFC administration’s five-year stint.
As a citizen, I was indeed satisfied that the Government has seen it fit to continue assisting families and communities that are in desperate need as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the now recovering economic situation, where jobs are concerned. The $25,000 relief could not have come at a better time for many families.
YOU, the APNU/AFC, had the opportunity to do something. What did YOU do?
It was People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government that forged ahead with its plans to revitalise the sugar industry and rehire the sugar workers who were dismissed by YOU, A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) regime. rehiring of almost 700 sugar workers and the plan is to provide employment for over 3000 workers by the end of 2022.
As part of the efforts to ensure a growing, diversified and modernised economy, the PPP/C Government liberalised the telecommunication sector within the first 100 days of being in office.
G$150M in risk allowances were given to our frontline health workers. The PPP/C know that this cannot compensate fully for their efforts, but they have done what was within their means at this time, given the state of the economy. They will do more as resources permit, as promised by our President.
Our Joint Services have benefited from a two-week tax-free payout for 2020 -which they were denied for the last five years by you, the APNU/AFC. Lindeners and every Guyanese had to shoulder burdensome increases and additional taxes and fees over the past five years. These taxes and fees deprived them of much needed disposable income. It stifled business activity within the productive sectors. The PPP/C have lifted those burdens. They have removed the unconscionable Value-Added Tax (VAT) on water and electricity. They have restored free water for pensioners. They have cast off the oppressive corporation tax on private education and VAT on medical supplies.
Our farmers were saddled with increased fees for leases and drainage and irrigation services. Many of them could not afford to pay these unconscionable increases imposed by the APNU AFC Government. The PPP/C Government have reduced these fees. They have also slashed by half the increases in licence fees which were instituted after 2014 – restoring hope for the Guyanese people by reintroducing the education cash grant which was callously snatched away from parents. But not only have they restored it, but they have increased it to $15,000. In addition, they have increased the uniform allowance. These measures will make it easier for parents to outfit their children for school.
I can outline so many more, but what Lindeners and Guyanese have seen the People’s Progressive Party Civic accomplish in six months was never accomplished by the APNU/AFC in their five-year term.
I would like the APNU/AFC leaders to know that the people of Guyana have seen their incompetence and betrayal, the coalition supporters has seen the outright lies being told by the APNU/AFC Opposition. You, the APNU/AFC, had an added responsibility to respect the people and let them know the truth, given the years of division and rancour in Guyana.
The People’s Progressive Party/Civic Government has an enormously high value on truth in their manifesto, and have kept their word to the people of Guyana by demonstrating through their actions and commitment every day over the last six months, and will continue to do so by representing the voice and will of the people; and assure every Guyanese citizen, whether you are a supporter of the PPP/C, APNU/AFC, every Guyanese will see their aspirations fulfilled.
Sincerely,
David Adams