When we were wee tykes, we all heard the story of the “dog and bone”, right?? There’s this dog who found a bone and snapped it up in his jaws. While going to a shady spot to enjoy a good, satisfying and leisurely chew, he had to cross a bridge over a stream. But as he did so, he saw his reflection in the water; thought it was another dog with a luscious bone and attempted to grab it. But of course, being a dog, he had to open his mouth to do – and his real bone dropped into the water!! And was lost forever.
Now, even if the PNC Opposition types had heard the story, it looks like they didn’t realise that it had a moral that was supposed to teach them a lesson for life. To wit, don’t be too greedy lest they loose “corn and husk”, to mix a metaphor!! Right now, whether they scream “illegal-installed-regime” from now till Kingdom come or not, they’ve lost the 2020 General Elections and the Central government. Nothing they do will change that!!
But the PPP government has scheduled Local Government Elections (LGE) for next March – which can gives them some power at another albeit, lower level – the 10 towns and 70 NDCs. Yet the Leader of the Opposition (LoO) has been playing a “hold me, loose me” game as to whether they’ll participate. Why?? They claim the electoral list – which they used to win the 2015 election and capture the government – is “bloated”!! And the PPP’s gonna be using the dead and migrated folks they snucked in to win the 2020 elections to do the same with the March 2023 LGE!! Can you believe that?? They’re CERTAIN the PPP’s gonna rig but can’t use the present and soon-to-be-introduced mechanisms to prevent them?? Maybe they don’t deserve to be in politics!!
So what will they do?? The PPP’s been rolling into their traditional communities doling out largess like it was perpetual Christmas – and signing up residents to run for LG office on THEIR tickets. So the Opposition’s gonna sit back and have the PPP take over municipalities like Georgetown they’ve NEVER CONTROLLED?? They think that once the PPP gets their foot into THAT door, then deliver services like they’ve never been delivered before – with the unprecedented Oil Money at their disposal – they’ll be dislodged??
No way, Jose!! So we hope that the Opposition Brain Trust is more than one brain and they’ll decide to keep the bone in their mouths – their “safe” municipalities and NDCs – and not be greedy. At least some loyalists can be rewarded.
One, one dutty build dam. They need all they dutty they can collect for 2025!!
…in Parliament
One of the Opposition leaders complained that the Parliamentary Sectoral Committees aren’t meeting because of the PPP government’s intransigence!! What the heck is your Eyewitness hearing?? He’s been raising his hands to the skies and calling for these Committees to meet and put the government’s feet to the fire for the last two years!! These Committees – Economic, Natural Resources, Foreign Affairs, Social Services – cover every aspect of governmental activities in real time unlike the Public Accounts Committee that deals with history!!
Now half of these Committees are Chaired on an annual rotating basis by a member of the Opposition!! So if the Committees haven’t been meeting, what have those Opposition Chairmen been doing since 2020?? Sleeping?? They should’ve been screaming bloody murder to the Guyanese electorate!! All of the complaints – discriminatory handouts, houselots distribution, jobs, contracts, land, “emerging apartheid government” etc. could’ve been investigated by summoning officials of the administration to give testimony on penalty of sanctions!!
It’s clear the Opposition just haven’t gotten their act together!!
…with development
Now most Opposition leaders – like those in the Government also – are comparatively well off. So when the Opposition demand their ordinary supporters leave their jobs to picket the GECOM Chair etc, they shouldn’t be surprised no one shows up!!
