On Wednesday, the PPP – in the presence of Pres. Ali, who’s once again their Presidential Candidate, and VP Jagdeo, who happens to be their General Secretary – gave the nation a sneak preview of their manifesto. Well, to be honest, the PPP wasn’t sneaky or anything like that – since it was a very well-publicised event at the Ramada Princess – in front of a hall full of professionals and the press. It’s just that they offered some broad strokes of what their full manifesto’s gonna offer when they release it sometime in the next week or so by your Eyewitness’ estimate. This event was billed as a “consultation” on the broad sketches offered.
Now, while the word “manifesto” received quite a bit of notoriety from Karl Marx’s “Communist Manifesto”, it’s got a long history and basically means pledges made by a person or group. And to give the PPP its jacket, they’ve always been pretty serious about fulfilling the pledges they make in their manifestos – issued at the beginning of each election cycle. And as such, they’ve set a standard by which the other parties should be judged. For example, during the last five years, they’ve been most obsessed about keeping us posted on their efforts to keep their pledge to distribute 50,000 house lots!! They succeeded by some margin!!
So what’s in store for us if the PPP wins come Sept 1 – as most expect them to do? Quite simply, they’re following the same strategy that undergirded their 2020 manifesto. Which is, firstly, to continue building our infrastructure. But this time, according to GS Jagdeo – with less borrowing and more dipping into our oil kitty, which should be substantially larger on account of higher oil production. Your Eyewitness is in full agreement with that thrust – notwithstanding the Opposition’s snide refrain that “you can’t eat roads”. Maybe not – but without infrastructure we’ll never be able to attract the industries, farms and businesses that’s gonna employ folks to give them the wherewithal to secure the necessities of life – and more!!
That was spelt out in the presentations – with the added fillip of encouraging ordinary folks to become entrepreneurs to craft their own destinies by owning small and medium-sized businesses. A development bank’s gonna be established to provide low-cost loans – and in doing so, unleash market forces to push the commercial banks to drop their interest rates!! Fundamentally, then, the PPP intends to make Guyanese truly independent by encouraging them to achieve through their own efforts. Rather than depending on government handouts as the Opposition’s pushing!!
The pressure is now on the Opposition parties to come up with their own pledges – backed by coherent plans – on delivering the good life to all Guyanese!!
…of the runt’s implosion
Your Eyewitness had wondered – idly, it turned out! – about how in the world he was gonna report on the goings-on with TWENTY-TWO parties in the Sept 1 sweepstakes. But it turned out (thankfully!!) only SEVEN survived to Nomination Day – and with what’s been going on, we might just end up with the two big boys!! There’d been “Great Expectations” for the AFC – but that was based on what happened in the past. Today it’s but a shadow of its former self – and shadows don’t matter in elections!!
On Nomination Day, one newbie – the Know Nothing Party – made a splash in blue. But we now know that was due to folks being promised $50,000 EACH to show up!! Your Eyewitness reported on the party’s organiser Doggie – yes, Doggie!! – pistol-whipping one participant who complained about not receiving the full $50,000. Well, after the leader disassociated himself from Doggie’s intemperate action, Doggie resigned with some trademark expletives!!
Over in Berbice, their funeral-attending organiser also stepped down!! Implosion?
…on Suriname’s Map
At the inauguration of Suriname’s new President Simons, your Eyewitness is sure there was their official map displayed – which shows our New River Triangle as theirs. This matter gotta be sorted out before continuing with the bonhomie.
