…what crisis?
Three million of its citizens have fled to neighbouring countries because they were literally starving in Venezuela, but their President Maduro insists there’s no “humanitarian crisis” there!! Over here in Guyana, the PNC-led government’s term of office is constitutionally due to end on March 19 after the NCM, but it’s been working in cahoots with its majority in GECOM to desperately cling on to power. And the government’s spokesperson insists there’s no political “crisis” here!! The ostrich syndrome – burying one’s head in the sand – must be catching!!
The problem with the ostrich syndrome, however, is that with its head in the sand, the ostrich’s rear end in unavoidably upraised and from that position literally invites a good kick in the behind!! And that’s what has happened to Maduro in Venezuela and will happen to the PNC-government – if it doesn’t wake up and smell the bush tea. The spokesperson says rather than looking at the exponentially increasing contradictions and tensions as a “crisis”, folks should see it as an “opportunity”!!
Sure!! And the captain of the Titanic should’ve seen the iceberg an “opportunity” to break the record for most fatalities in an ocean accident!! Or the Japanese should’ve seen the atomic bombs over Nagasaki and Hiroshima as an “opportunity” to rebuild those two cities!! Why is it these PNC types are oblivious to the damage they’re doing to the possibility of us ever achieving democratic governance – by trampling all over our constitution?? That’s the real crisis. Because, once our faith in impartial rules to govern our politics is shattered, like Humpty Dumpty, it’s impossible to ever put them back together again!!
Yes! The only thing that stands between us and the jungle is the set of rules embodied in our constitution, which outlines how all the institutions we’ve set up to run our state, will function. We all aspire to become like the mother country – Britain – but we fail to appreciate it’s because they adhere to their constitution – EVEN THOUGH IT’S NOT IN WRITING!! It’s like the rules about which side of the road we should drive on. Sure we can all drive on whatever side we want to…but apart from the chaos, can you imagine the mayhem that will ensue?
And that’s what our politics will become if the PNC continues to insist that Constitutionally, 33 isn’t the majority of 65 seats – especially when they were governing for over three years on that basis!!
This, however, is just the last in a long line of PNC abuse of the constitution – starting as far back as it’s promulgation in 1980, when it was written!! Remember “paramountcy of the PNC?
This confounded nonsense must stop!!
…in Venezuelan influx
Your Eyewitness has already expressed his sympathy for the Venezuelan refugees streaming across our border. Some of our border citizens have already expressed concerns about health and other social problems that accompany these poor souls. They are now over 5123 of them – and mushrooming. And your Eyewitness would hazard a guess this OFFICIAL number is quite understated, if for nothing else, than the not exactly impervious nature of our western border. What with the dense jungle; low population density and undermanned border stations!
Now while we should be concerned about the humanitarian crisis (even if Maduro isn’t!), as Guyanese we also have to be concerned about the strategic implications of the Venezuelan refugees. The last population figure of Region 7, for instance, is 17,597…and we should realise it doesn’t take much to tilt that number in a Venezuelan direction.
More Guyanese might’ve taken refuge in Venezuela back in the day, but we weren’t claiming 2/3 of that country, were we??
And remember, Guaido and company are even more strident about “their” Essequibo!
…in sugar
As if the PNC government hadn’t done enough damage to the sugar industry by shuttering 4 estates and firing 7000 workers, comes news that the SPU is now inflicting the coup de grace!
By strangling the rump GUYSUCO of funds!!
