Last month, President Ali introduced a new press format dubbed “In the Seat” – not the “Hot Seat”, mind you!! – in which he selects five female journalists to lob questions at him. Your Eyewitness ain’t sure what’s the criteria for selecting the female journalists but he was taken aback that in the second session last week, once again there were none from his media house!! Interestingly enough, women journalists rule the roost over here!! But then, maybe Pressie’s saving the best for last??
In this last “In the seat”, Pressie looked ahead at the upcoming 2025 elections and predicted his party would roll over the opposition and “win by a big margin”. Now we know that all politicians predict victories for their parties – but generally, we know they’re just whistling in the dark!! Surely no one takes those baby parties seriously – even though they go on interminably about what they will do “when they get into power”!! But hey!! Maybe things will be different now that a party collecting just 224 votes is occupying not just a seat in the National Assembly, but is the Deputy Speaker!!
But back to Pressie’s prediction. He is, after all, at the helm of one of the two dominant parties that have alternated taking office in the last few elections. The days of any one ethnic group support giving them an automatic built-in majority are looong gone!! But maybe not!! Let’s face it…with the African Guyanese clocking in at the last census at 29% and the Mixed Guyanese – who have a cultural affinity with them – coming in at 20%, objectively, their traditional PNC party has a solid shot at agglomerating the 50% prize!! The PPP’s traditional Indian numbers have dwindled to below 40% and they can’t cross the line with just the Amerindians who’re 10%!!
But good for us analysts – yes…you think your Eyewitness was just making jokes??!! – Pressie did give a reason why he was so confident. Conceding our history of ethnic voting – and implicitly the historical support in the African/Mixed communities for the PNC, Pressie told the female journalists, “I’ve seen tremendous changes (in the aversion to the PPP) and it’s going to be reflected in the votes in 2025…That resistance has completely gone and these are areas that one would have thought in the past were so resistant that they would not even allow it so I’ve seen tremendous changes and it’s going to be reflected in the votes.”
So there you have it. The full-court press the PPP unleashed in the African/Mixed Guyanese communities has shown him results – enough to convince the receptivity in those communities will translate into votes to stymie the presently hapless PNC.
…at perennial challenges
Your Eyewitness suspects it surely must’ve crossed Pressie’s mind to summon one of his 5:30 am love-ins – this time with Guysuco and GP’s execs!! Instead, he used his “In the Seat” forum to let them know– as with the tardy contractors – he’s lost his patience with them! He warned if they don’t get their act together by next year – “HEADS WILL ROLL”!! To your Eyewitness – who’s a sucker for medieval trivia – that threat brings to mind those Execs’ heads stuck under a guillotine to be lopped off!!
Now, no one can say Pressie hasn’t shown enough patience with these two government corporations. He’s been pumping money into them like Exxon pumping oil from beneath our Atlantic!! The difference though, is Exxon has turned around its slump – while Guysuco’s production plummets; costs rise and GPL’s blackouts continue with annoying frequency.
But it should be clear that it’s not just “new heads” that’s gonna turn around these two beleaguered corporations. Branch and root changes are needed!
…to Christmas Eve
This evening, we Guyanese celebrate Christmas Eve. But your Eyewitness knows gonna paraphrase Paul Simon’s advice on “50 ways to leave your (inebriated) sport”: Slip out the back, Jack; Don’t be coy Roy; Hop on the bus, Gus!!
