PNCR had an enlightenment in Washington: They have become guardians of democracy

Dear Editor,
I listened with great astonishment as PNCR and AFC Opposition MPs launched a scathing attack on the PPPC Government at their Burke-sponsored Washington Conference on September 27, 2023. To an audience that comprised one ethnic group, it was like preaching to the flock.
Nothing is wrong with criticism, but when those attacks are based on fabrication and distorted information, and are spewed out with reckless abandon, serious questions are raised about credibility.
One constructive comment was made by Amanza Walton-Desir, who said the Opposition and Government are one in defence of Guyana’s territorial integrity.
Leader of the Opposition, Mr Aubrey Norton, spoke about their people-centred development plan (but didn’t have a copy to show the audience), and repeated an old mantra, “growth is not development.” Only a blind person cannot see the vast development taking place in Guyana.
He blasted the PPPC for destroying democracy in Guyana. Cathy Hughes joined him in this tirade. They quickly pointed out that the action by the Immigration Department to stop Mr David Patterson, MP, from leaving the country was a sign of the PPPC’s authoritarian rule. They didn’t tell the audience that the Chief Immigration Officer blamed the snafu on a computer error, and that the error was later corrected.
Why would the PPPC not want Mr Patterson to attend the Washington Conference, that political grandstanding forum?
Cathy Hughes quoted from News Room, which she said is a PPPC medium. That is false. She also complained about the NRF, which had US$1.7 billion at end of June 2023, and asserted that most of this money is going to fund big contracts, while many children cannot read and write, and many go hungry.
That is a gross exaggeration.
She lamented that the 22 members that they had in their version of the NRF (Act 12 of 2019) to overlook the NRF monitoring and compliance income was replaced by 5 members closely connected with the PPPC. This information is wrong. The comparative body in the PPPC legislation (Act 19, 2021) has 9 members. Under the PPPC’s Act, the 5 members are for the Board of Directors who are responsible for managing the NRF.
Were these falsehoods designed to excite the audience’s sensibilities? If there was any doubt about this, Burke took to the podium and accused the Jagdeo Government of killing 1,400 Black men. Already, Stabroek News had done an analysis of the 420 cases, and disputed these allegations. And I have done a content analysis and found that 118 of the 420 people listed were Indo-Guyanese.
Most of those killings were linked to gang warfare, shootout with Police, rampage by Fineman and his gang, and many were known criminals wanted by the Police.
What about the attempt to overthrow the PPPC Government, the storming of the President’s Office, and the East Coast insurrection?
Burke played to his true form. He used incendiary rhetoric to stir the emotions of the audience. He asserted that Jagdeo must pay for the murders committed under his Presidency. He subtly suggested street action as one remedy.
“We cannot trust the Police, so we have to take action.” What action?
When the PNCR led-Government was in power from 2015 to 2020, why didn’t they carry out an inquiry into those murders, but just decided instead to inquire into the Lindo Creek murders? They knew that the evidence was not there. Also, that would have raised a Pandora’s Box about the killings of Father Darke, Dr Walter Rodney, Vincent Teekah, and the attempted assassination of Dr Josh Ramsamny, among others.
It has always been the PNC that was linked to violence, arson (slow fiah, mo fiah), and destruction of property, not to mention the X13 Plan.
The biggest travesty perpetrated upon the audience in Washington was the claim by Mr Norton that the PPPC Government is destroying democracy in Guyana. How much more outlandish could one become? All the western diplomatic missions are aware of their (PNCR) attempt to stage a daring electoral heist in 2020. All the international observer missions, including the Carter Center, have condemned the PNCR’s democratic behaviour, and several of them had their US visas suspended for this purpose. How do they have the gall to preach and pontificate on the altar of democracy?
In December 2018, they lost a No Confidence motion in Parliament. Instead of stepping down from power after 3 months, they hung onto power until August 2, 2020 on the absurdity that 34 is a majority of 65. Another blatant abuse of the constitution and a frontal attack on democracy was when PNCR Leader Mr David Granger unilaterally appointed Judge James Patterson as GECOM Chair on October 19, 2017, contrary to the Constitution. Mr Granger’s decision was overturned by the Caribbean Court of Justice, and Justice Patterson had to demit office in June 2019.
The history of PNCR is a sad tale of electoral rigging (1968-1982), dictatorship, economic collapse, and hopelessness. If their purpose is to get the US to interfere in the internal affairs of Guyana, that would not happen. The US Embassy has all the factual information which they conveyed to the State Department. They are aware that the PNCR is a democracy buster.
Sincerely,
Dr Tara Singh