When your Eyewitness read that the AFC went ahead with its threat to leave the PNC/APNU coalition, he remembered that old song by the Stylistics: “Break up to makeup, that’s all we do/ First you love me then you hate me/ That’s a game for fools”. In this case, however, the AFC and the PNC think it’s we – the Guyanese people – who’re fools!! Didn’t they break up before the last LGE?? Didn’t they make up right after, when the AFC discovered they’d really become stink and dutty “Dead Meat”?? Yeah…after more than five years, Dead Meat does get “renk”!!
So, what’s really going on here?? It’s quite clear, ain’t it, Dear Reader?? The AFC had brought in that most prized weapon in the Guyana political arena for the 2015 war…er…elections: crossover votes. In the Guyanese political demographics, this’s tantamount to being able to put your finger on the scale – legally!! So, lo and behold, the PNC-AFC coalition won. Never mind those other micro-parties…they’ve never been able to get more votes than even their family members!!
But it soon became obvious the PNC had sized up the AFC during their prenup negotiations – dubbed the Cummingsburg Accord. Cause they promptly dumped all over the latter, who remained quieter than the proverbial dormouse!! It was either they got their jollies off by being dumped on, or they didn’t want to lose the crumbs thrown at them!! That was the time they should’ve announced they were gonna break up, unless they were treated with respect!! What was the PNC going to do if they’d voted against them in Parliament?? We know the answer when a SINGLE AFC MP later decided to grow some cojones!!
So, we come to this end-of- 2022 “break-up” – two and a half years before the 2025 elections. To your Eyewitness, it’s pretty obvious that both the PNC and AFC understand that the latter has lost whatever credibility to bring in those absolutely needed crossover votes after they sold them down the river. Hence the “split” – hoping in the next two years, they can convince some erstwhile supporters that this time they’ll stand for principles rather than personal aggrandisement. And it’s this calculus that makes your Eyewitness think they believe Guyanese are stark raving bonkers!
What have the AFC done since the elections to show they’ve developed a pair?? Have they told the PNC to its (leader’s) face that they were treated worse than doormats?? Have they even HINTED to the PNC that their nine MPs will henceforth vote their conscience in the National Assembly?? Have they even conceded that the PNC’s UNILATERAL closure of the four sugar estates was wrong?
So, who’s mamaguying who? Gwan da side!!
…possible oligarchy
To your Eyewitness’s surprise, looks like GAWU’s the organization developing a pair to comment frankly on matters affecting their membership’s interests. “Surprise” because, ever since the independence era, the trade unions had become handmaidens of the political parties. Now, don’t get your Eyewitness wrong; he understands that, intimately, everything’s decided in the political arena. But the whole premise of the Trade Union Movement was for its unions to represent workers’ interests TO the political parties.
And this becomes very difficult when you’re part and parcel of the said parties. The bottom line is that political parties are supposed to represent ALL interests in the country – not just workers’. But, as with everything else, those who pay the piper call the tune!! And the only currency the Unions have to pay the piper is their membership votes – which must then be free to represent their interests!!
So, when GAWU speak up about the debilitating effects of inflation on the living conditions of workers, they’re furthering democracy in Guyana.
…debt fears
There’ve been concerns raised about increased debt accumulation. Now, we Guyanese don’t have to be told about the wages of excessive debt, after the Burnhamite excesses.
But, right now, our income flow projected from oil will easily handle debt servicing!!
