We Guyanese have a welter of sayings on the dangers of being too smart for one’s own good. But the best – in your Eyewitness’s estimation – is: “All smart fly does end up pan cow backside!!” It’s short, it’s pithy, it’s graphic; and, most of all, it reflects what goes on in real life. Take the APNU goings-on that’s been titillating us in the press. After five decades of rigging, assassinating and starving the Guyanese people, the PNC under Robert Corbin realized it had an image problem if it were to have a chance of winning free and fair elections!!
Hoyte had tried imitating Jagan’s “Civic” innovation by bringing in some outsiders and dubbing them “Reform”. Hence PNC/Reform; which, however, didn’t do a darn thing for them in the 2001 elections. Corbin himself then launched a “One Guyana” innovation and branded his party “PNCR-1G” for the 2006 elections. That was an unmitigated PR disaster, since everyone read that as PNC-RIG – reminding folks of why they dreaded the PNC!!
So, for the 2011 elections, Corbin decided that the PNC name itself had to go. But how to do that and still bring out the old supporters? He came up with the bright idea of acquiring a new name: A Partnership for National Unity – APNU. But like a smart fly, he wanted to have his black pudding and eat it too. So, the “partnership” was made with some paper entities that have no real support in the community – GAP, WPA, JFAP and NDF. He figured that, as a giant among pygmies, the PNC would dominate them; so, for all intents and purposes, it’d be a well-disguised PNC down the line!!
Well, the plan worked to a “T” – APNU pulled in the base in 2011, and then went into a coalition with the AFC, which took power in 2015!! How sweet it was!! All the paper tigers were happy as pigs in mud, since they were made ministers and other big appoints that drew in massive perks. Never mind they weren’t consulted on anything – it was all about the perks, baby!! But what goes up gotta come down, and when the APNU/AFC coalition was ousted in 2020, the shit hit the fan when the PNC elected Norton as the new leader.
He didn’t see no value in the nonentities, and didn’t even hold a meeting for years!! So, the paper parties finally called a meeting earlier this year, gave Norton two days’ notice, and when he didn’t show up, elected a new Executive!! He’s now being accused of being “undemocratic” for not following the new rules promulgated!
But horror of horrors, APNU’s now accepting membership from the masses!!
A new party’s born to split PNC’s votes?!!
…in a loop
A Venezuelan moderate opposition politician, who’s been around for a while, made a prediction about what he sees unfolding after the election wherein maduro was declared a winner by the Elections Council (CNE), and Maduro referred the dispute to the Supreme Court (TSJ): “If I were a prophet, I would venture to predict this likely future: very soon the TSJ will issue a ruling validating the CNE bulletin; Maduro’s proclamation as the elected president will be confirmed; and Machado will end up in prison, in exile, or seeking asylum.”
He added, “The opposition will experience a new hangover, from which it’ll be hard to recover; the electoral route will be severely damaged. In short, more imprisonment, more exiles, more deaths, more sanctions, more poverty, more backwardness…and change will be even more difficult.” So, what does this do for us?
Well, for one, there will be more refugees pouring over our border; Mad Maduro will keep rattling sabres over the border controversy – and buy out more Caricom members!!
…in flagrante
The Israelis are conducting a dress rehearsal to sacrifice an unblemished red heifer. Meaning they will destroy the Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque, and build the third temple.
The Gaza war ain’t ending!!
