…PNC desperation
If nothing else, PNC founder-leader Burnham appreciated keeping a legal fig leaf over his excesses. Walking out of Parliament, he’d take time to genuflect to the Speaker. Wanting to become a dictator, he created a Constitution that “authorised” powers far in excess of even Papa Doc of Haiti. It would appear, however, his successors just don’t give a damn about the niceties. Or else they’re so rattled by Jagdeo’s no-confidence motion, they’ve lost it!
Take the Speaker’s signal that in the upcoming Budget debate, the time allocated for the Opposition MP’s to speak would be cut in half to 20 minutes. Burnham would’ve never been so blatant in his muzzling. He would’ve figured, what’s the point? At the end of the night, he had the votes to do whatever he wanted in any case, didn’t he? But this PNC lot want to have their cake and eat it too. Unfortunately for them, to mix a metaphor, they’ll lose corn and husk come 2020.
They already telegraphed what they want to do with this Budget. Use it to flood their supporters with goodies; expecting them to forget the four years of neglect with one year of fat. And this is what they don’t want exposed during the Budget debate by the Opposition speakers. Hence the muzzling. Pathetic isn’t it? More so for their supporters, who they think must be morons!
What the LGE showed is that nowadays, most of those erstwhile supporters have minds of their own. Your Eyewitness knows LGEs aren’t national elections, where the whole kit and caboodle is at stake. But the LGE is a hint of what’s in the mind of the old “PNC constituency”. And what it shows is while there may be some sentimentality for the PNC since “it’s we own”, they now have a basis of comparison when it comes to putting money into their pockets. Which is what it’s all about, isn’t it? And it’s no contest with the PPP in the picture!
It’s said, with a great deal of truth – “fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me!” And the PNC supporters have been fooled once before – for twenty-eight years! They saw the PNC inheriting a country on par with any other in the British Caribbean – and saw them destroy it to become the poorest – just above Haiti, by 1989! They see all the signs once again – arrogance amounting to hubris in refusing to accept advise on running the economy.
They’ve seen Raphael “Nassau” Trotman pissing away US$600 million on our Oil Bonus; placing energy into the hands of an environmentalist. And worse of all, the possibility of Nagamootoo becoming President!!
…race baiting
It’s clear that, like its first iteration in 1974, the latest PNC “Declaration of Sophia” signals the one time “Paramount Party” returning to what “worked” for it back then. Brute force and ignorant bullyism! Opposition Leader Jagdeo has had to take the threats of one PNC Leader to the ERC – mandated to deal with racially divisive threats. And what can be more divisive that threatening to “get back” to those Local Government bodies just elected, who serve their communities?
Now who else are they supposed to serve? Isn’t the whole point about “local government” to get to the grassroots of the “grass” in your community? So if a PPP-elected NDC services the supporters that voted for them they’ll be sanctioned by the PNC Central Government with trumped-up charges – like the one against the fella in Grove?
So what should the PPP do with Winston Jordan who promised the faithful at Stabroek Market Square, the Government “knows who voted for them” and all good things will come their way?
…bribes
It didn’t take long for Jordan to keep his promise to the faithful. In announcing the date for presenting the Budget, he slipped in his inclusion of raises for public servants for 2018 and 2019.
Sugar workers, stay back!!
