…in coalition
Your Eyewitness wonders why the WPA veterans are surprised by the short shrift they’ve been given by Prezzie and the rest of the PNC on the demotion of Roopnaraine. It was a pathetic sight to look at the bunch of grizzled political “radicals” pleading for relevancy across the desk from the new PNC — but still the PNC.
Hadn’t they paid attention to what went down with the AFC? Why did they think the PNC would treat them any differently? Because of Thomas’s swivel from being the avowed Marxist who savaged Burnham and the PNC’s economic initiatives back in the day to their point-man to defang the PPP’s strength in the sugar belt? Because of Ogunseye’s PR defence of the Presidency’s missteps? Hey! They were just seen as hired guns! And you especially don’t earn respect for your team by betraying your principles to your former opponent. And ditto for Roopnaraine — who out of all the WPA leaders was always most open to the PNC. How can the PNC respect him after he sold Rodney down the river?
But in addition to their own foibles, the WPA should’ve interrogated (WPA word!) why the PNC brought them into APNU. All they were needed for was to provide cover for the PNC to get back into office. The WPA should’ve remembered their performance back in 1992, when they went head to head and chanced “splitting” the votes of the PNC’s traditional constituency — African Guyanese. They failed ignominiously to even dent the PNC’s support.
And the PNC has never since been worried about the WPA as a threat to them electorally – on account of the polarising nature of politics in a bi-communal polity. But there was the legitimacy capital that the WPA had earned on the solid groundings of Dr Walter Rodney. The man had real class — no pun intended! Just getting rid of Robert Corbin and floating the avuncular but relatively unknown David Granger wasn’t going to be enough to persuade a small but influential bloc of sceptical Guyanese elites that the PNC had actually gone beyond their disreputable past.
This is what was needed — in addition to the “Indian patina” provided by the AFC in May 2015. But not anymore, obviously. The PNC is now back in power, in control of the gravy train; and, not so incidentally, now hammering the final nail into the coffin of free and fair elections with its shenanigans on the GECOM Chair.
Those in the WPA who’re serious about moving Guyana into a more win-win type of politics should have a huddle with their elder statesman – Eusi Kwayana. He’s dealt with the PNC from “within”.
…and the state
Your Eyewitness is also surprised at those who’re surprised that Minister Keith Scott has become the point man from within the Cabinet to carry the spear against the Indigenous Peoples. Like the WPA types, he’s expendable, having also provided cover – albeit minuscule – for the PNC’s spots. Apart from having a one-man party — the NFA — he was also Walter Rodney’s brother-in-law.
So why would he announce that, in Guyana, “sovereignty” lies in the state and not in the people, as the Constitution declares? Echoing, of course, Eric Phillips, who can deliver anti-PPP diatribes on any topic faster than the speed of thought! Scott’s just singing for his supper. It’s a way station to the next declaration — that the PNC is “paramount” over the state.
After all, there are already enough military commissars in every department of government to make that assertion de facto!
The PNC intends to ensure it’s de jure after 2010.
…and bawdy behaviour
While the WPA was brought in to woo the “arty” crowd, Simona “I is” Broomes was supposed to work the other end of the spectrum. But seems she now wants to move up.
Her shtick in Parliament was…“wink, wink”…meant to genuflect to the in-crowd…but just confirmed her “bush” credentials.
