…pole position?
Guyana has some quaint traditions that’ve come down from history – like Masquerade and “Bull Cow” and suchlike. But new ones are appearing that look like they may just give those oldies a run for their money – like the rituals that must be observed to contest our elections. Now, we Guyanese take our elections very seriously – some may say TOO seriously, seeing as how we often end up hacking away at each other and burning down buildings in a literal scorched earth policy!!
We’re in the throes of what might be (delicately?) called the “foreplay” stage of the elections – which kicked off with the parties hoping to enter the fray submitting their symbols to GECOM. As we know, there were some 22 parties’ symbols approved – which included one jaguar-as-leopard that raised some concerns that were apparently allayed. From the names submitted, quite a number of newbies were discerned – some which had fissioned from the PNC/APNU, such as Amanza’s Forward Party and Simona’s Assembly for Liberty and Prosperity (ALP). Then there was the aptly named “Go-America”, which proposes we become PART of America so we don’t have to “GO to America!! It’s clear too that there are as many drop-outs from the nineteen parties that had filed for the 2020 elections. Citizenship Initiative (CI)? Federal United Party (FED UP)? Horizon and Star and Organisation for the Victory of the People?? Where have they gone??
Anyhow, another of the new elections’ traditions is filing the “nomination papers” to the Chief Elections Officer for candidates to elect the president, MPs and RDC members. This is an event rivalling Mashramani as enthusiastic supporters of the parties march towards City Hall decked out in their party colours and sashaying to their latest party electoral ditty!! Of recent, the venue has shifted to the Umana Yana – in front of the Pegasus – probably because it’s away from the madding crowds of central GT. And wouldn’t cause bigger traffic snafus than the usual!!
And this has caused an even newer tradition – some parties’ reps camping out days ahead of Nomination Day in front of Umana Yana!! This year, PNC/APNU staked out its spot – FIRST, it insisted, followed by the AFC and two of the newbies that were interestingly birthed from them!! Clearly their reps would then know each other, and your Eyewitness wondered whether it was a tad awkward!!
But he wondered even more as to why the early lining up?? Was there a pole-position advantage?? Well, the PPP VP provided the answer. Candidates’ names gotta be supported by hundreds of “backers” – and duplicates from other parties’ lists will be stricken off!!
PNC/APNU knows the spinoffs gonna dip into their pool!!
…new revenue streams
Your Eyewitness was quite intrigued by a report from the World Bank director for the Caribbean on the status of Caribbean tourism. We should all know by now that its “sun, sea and ”sand”–based tourism product took quite a hit of late – which evidently got its nail-in-the-coffin blow from the Covid epidemic. It’s the reason why islands like Barbados are now eating humble pie when it comes to Guyana after we struck it big in oil!!
But the WB Director makes a good point that’s relevant to us – even though we were dubbed “Caribbean”, we were never part of the sun-splashed image to haul in tourists. The goodly lady pointed out that “adventure tourism” is now eclipsing the older, lolling on the beaches variant. And this is where we come in.
Our interior is tailor-made for adventure – whether it’s hiking in the foothills of the Pakaraimas, safaris into the mountains themselves, scaling Mt Roraima, paddling up the Cuyuni to follow the old slave-escape route, etc.
Just invite folks to book “A Ticket to Adventure”!!
…our safety
Your Eyewitness just read about the two Chinese nationals assaulting a Bartica man. With some 100,000 immigrants and refugees now in our country, we gotta to ensure we don’t import their criminals. If convicted, the criminals must be deported!!
