Govt knows support dwindling amid disaffection – Opposition MP

…criticises APNU/AFC for cancelling midnight flag-raising ceremony

The Government is involved in all sorts of gymnastics as it attempts to conceal the fact that its support within some of its key and traditional stronghold communities is dwindling because of disaffection among its supporters and a menu of poor-thought-out and implemented anti-poor policies.
This is according to Opposition People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Member of Parliament, Juan Edghill, who noted that the situation is so dire that the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change coalition Government was forced to abandon the “pomp and ceremony” associated with the hosting of the country’s annual Independence anniversary celebrations at D’Urban Park. He said this was done because it is unable to mobilise and convince Guyanese to congregate for the event in the midst of one of the country’s hardest economic periods as of late.

Edghill, who was a former Finance Minister under the PPP Government, made the comments on Friday following a walkabout in the city, which was interrupted by a spate of continuous and persistent downpours.
Edghill, asked if he was surprised by Government’s decision not to host the annual midnight flag-raising ceremony at the multibillion-dollar D’Urban Park facility, responded in the negative.
He said it was clear that the coalition Government is not as popular as it claims because it cannot even attract persons from the South Georgetown communities and other areas such as Sophia, Albouystown and central Georgetown to be present at the event were it to be held.
He criticised the move to abandon the traditional midnight flag-raising event, which has been a staple in the diets and psyches of Guyanese for decades. Edghill was disappointed that the coalition resorted to “renting a crowd of school children” on the same to be part of what may be another lacklustre event at the deteriorating D’Urban Park facility.
Edghill decried the fact that the D’Urban Park facility remains underutilised but fully understood the scepticism on the part of companies and businesses. He explained that this is despite the fact that over $1.4 billion has been spent already on the entire project since its establishment.
The Opposition MP slammed the Government for its decision to continue to spend millions to repair and “spur up” the park as dismissed the move to only host big flag raising events every five years as a policy.
“Where have all the flowers gone,” Edghill asked as he said that the Government’s dwindling support is linked to its lack of performance. He even suggested that D’Urban Park was the Government’s signature project which represented the ideology of the David Granger Administration.
“It was a hustle from the beginning,” he pressed, as he said that the Social Cohesion Minister should be ashamed of the manner in which activities are being conceptualised to mark Guyana’s 52nd independence anniversary. (Michael Younge)