The PNC gave a party and all the faithful came…They played at making speeches, it was a lovely game!! Remember that ditty some learnt as kids? Well, the geriatrics in the “Worst Possible Alternative”- as Burnham called them – certainly should!! Well actually, the PNC held their General Council at Congress Place and – as the highest decision-making body between Congresses – the call would’ve gone out far and wide since 2025 is nigh upon us!!
In addition to the members of Central Executive Committee, RDC Chairs and Vice Chairs, Party candidates at the last General Elections, representatives of the Party’s youth arm (the Guyana Youth and Student Movement) and its women’s arm (the National Congress of Women), the Chairs and Vice Chairs of NDCs, Mayors and Deputy Mayors of municipalities, and other regional Party leaders, the leader himself Aubrey Norton would’ve been there to hold forth!! Whew!!
But your Eyewitness feverishly – and ultimately unsuccessfully – perused all the pics and videos coming his way for Roysdale Forde and Amanda Desir, who’d challenged Comrade Leader Norton for the leadership last June 2023. They’d claimed there were just too many “irregularities” in the Norton-controlled registration process and had pulled out just before the voting. For the party to go forward at full strength, your Eyewitness had hoped Norton would’ve kissed and made-up with them but clearly that situation is still up in the air!!
As is usual with these gatherings, there had to be a “theme” – which was “Forming the next government: building a just, inclusive, and prosperous society”. Now really!?! Was this the best the PNC brain-trust could come up with to lead the charge to oust the PPP?? Where’s the creativity to inspire the masses?? Where’s the re-branding of the party to remove the stench from the 2020 rigging attempt?? What have they done now that they’ve lost the “inclusive” APNU brand? That nebulous suggestion by Norton that he’ll be meeting the AFC leader to discuss a possible coalition?? How does that make the PNC more “inclusive”??
From the reports, it seems that on the first day the highlight was the address – the charge, so to speak – by leader Norton, who’s also Leader of the Opposition. He ripped into the “failings” of the PPP government – such as “corruption and inability to plan”. He then exhorted the Council to intensify the campaign to retake government at the next Regional and General elections”!! But he showed his hand when he alleged that “Every child in Guyana knows that the PPP is giving every Tom, Dick, Harrilall, Spanish, Chinese and Bangladeshis national identification cards (to vote)!
Playing the race card by excluding Quashi from the “Tom, Dick, Harrilall, Spanish, Chinese and Bangladeshis”!!
…for battling corruption
There’s the old Guyanese folk wisdom that “people eye na full”!! Meaning that no matter how much they get, folks want more. And they’ll do whatever it takes to get that “more”!! So as the PPP rolls out programmes that’s putting money in people’s pockets, some already getting are pulling scams out of their kazoos to haul in more!! The VP’s identified the scam where some officials in charge of entrepreneurship seed programs are doling them out to friends and families. And, of course, the PPP gets blamed. The perfect example was the “Case of the Police Wedding of the Century” – where some $700 million in “gifts” were claimed to’ve been collected!!!
So what does the PPP do?? Last month the VP warned: “If you believe that you have a special relationship with the government and that we will, pursuant to that relationship, cover up your misdeeds, you have it wrong”!!
And lo and behold, the GPF big one who collected the gifts is before the Courts!!
…for Global Cricket
Well, Mark your Eyewitness’ words – the inaugural Global Cricket League, that’s gonna be hosted in our Mudland from November 26 to December 7 will set new standards for T-20 Cricket. This is playing cricket for your country!!
