In sight… of Christmas

Used to be the song that “The Twelve Days of Christmas” summarised our expectations of the festival that’s the biggest one in Guyana – never mind what religion you belong to!! Remember the last verse?? “On the twelfth day of Christmas, /my true love sent to me /Twelve drummers drumming, /Eleven pipers piping, /Ten lords a-leaping, /Nine ladies dancing, /Eight maids a-milking, /Seven swans a-swimming, /Six geese a-laying, /Five gold rings, /Four calling birds, /Three French hens, /Two turtle doves, And a partridge in a pear tree!”
The countdown for the song started on Christmas day – 25th Dec and continued into the new year – Jan 5!! But in Guyana we’re more literal, thank you, and the countdown starts on the 1st day of December – today and continues to the grand finale of Christmas Day!! So we have TWENTY-FIVE DAYS OF CHRISTMAS!!! In practical terms, this means that we Guyanese enter a whole different zone mentally – especially when it has anything even remotely connected to work!! We take offence that anyone could be so crass as to suggest we take our mind of ‘what we will do for Christmas”!!
Our bonhomie index rises to the sky and we take the slightest excuse to “take a drink” to welcome “the festive season”!! At the workplace we all start collecting moneys for the Christmas gifts for workers; planning the Christmas parties and strategising how we would get home afterwards – since we would all be all sloshed!! At home, the wife would be going into a frenzy decorating the home with new curtains and mats – not to mention shanghaiing your Eyewitness into digging and dusting out the Christmas tree from the cupboard and figuring out which bulbs and streamers have to be replaced. We would be adding oodles of rum to “season” the Black Cake that had been set since September!!

So with all this distraction, your Eyewitness doesn’t see Sanction Man getting much traction in his quest for the Speaker to summon the Opposition MPs to elect him as the new LOO!! From what your Eyewitness understands, the Speaker’s abroad – and being Guyanese – would’ve received a long from his boss – the Missus, thank you!! – on what he had to “pick up” from foreign for their Christmas table and such like!! When he returns there’s gonna be all sorts of social obligations which can’t be ignored in this Christmas season!!
But since WIN’s clamouring for a Parliamentary Opp meet and the PNC/APNU quite lukewarm, maybe in the interest of a democratic Parliamentary process the Clerk should first ascertain – confidentially through some secret process! – whether there’s unanimity for an immediate conclave.
It’s quite possible the Opposition MPs – being Guyanese – may look quite askance at the request!!

…of a clean GT?
Your Eyewitness’ feed was flooded by a video from newly-appointed APNU parliamentary leader of their anointed twelve – Terrence “Chicken Man” Campbell!! His camera focused on a hillock of garbage in a squatting area in Broad St as he castigated Min of Local Govt Priya Manickchand for wearing “designer glasses and fancy clothes” – along with the Min of Health, Social Services etc. – for not taking care of the problem!!
But your Eyewitness wonders why Chicken Man didn’t include the M&CC for his harangue!! After all, aren’t they the ones directly responsible for the City under our laws that distinguish between the Central Government and Municipalities?? Weren’t they supposed to be collecting garbage from this area?? And if Central Govt got a role to play, what did APNU do about the garbage and housing when they were in office between 2015 and 2020??
But that’s the problem with these newbies, innit?? They don’t realise when they point one finger towards the PPP, three others are pointed towards themselves!!

…of oblivion
Your Eyewitness saw a report from St Vincent that after his 14-1 drubbing at the polls, Ralphie Gonsalves “conceded” defeat!! You think??!! But he expects the “courtesies and privileges of former “high” office holders!! No more Maduro’s freebies??