So what’s…

…the plan??
For a country where our politicians were dubbed “precocious” during colonial days – spouting communist rhetoric that spanned the spectrum from communism to cooperative socialism, it’s weird that during the Sept 1 elections campaign we didn’t get a peep out of the players on what they believed in. Even the new kid on the block – Sanction Man’s WIN!! Between the Mensheviks and Bolsheviks in the PNC and PPP we used to have all the gradations in between – from the Black Nationalist socialism of Kwayana; the Black Nationalist Marxism of Rodney; the Revolutionary Maoism of Brindley Benn; the Christian Democracy of Tennassee – not to mention the overt identity politics of the League of Coloured Peoples and the BGEIA. If Guyana’s the “Land of Six Peoples”; a thousand ideological flowers bloomed even before Mao thought of the phrase!!
So what’s with our political parties now?? Suffering from mental laziness – as one Opposition leader who just won a seat to parliament- accused followers of the PPP – or have we reached the “end of ideology” as predicted some time ago?? Now your Eyewitness ain’t talking about any full-blown, book-thumping ideology – we know some of them like Sanction Man are intellectually challenged to move beyond grunts!! But shouldn’t our politicians offer some sorta ideas on how our politics and society ought to function?? Maybe if they spelled out such an overarching vision, folks wouldn’t be choosing between who’s uglier or richer or more pugnacious than whom!!
Ok…Ok…so you, Dear Reader, wanna know a bit more what your Eyewitness is going on about, don’t you?? Well let’s talk for instance about services provided by the government. In the US – the home of capitalism and “the brave” they don’t believe in free medical care for all!! That’s – gasp!! – “socialism”. Even the Affordable Care Act – dubbed “Obamacare” in echo of “Medicare” that sets earning limits – was derided.
Well, we got free medical care and also free education in Guyana – up to and including University by 2025!!. This would make us stark, raving communists to Americans!! So is this why we stay mum?? One wing of the Opposition – in direct echo of Burnham’s socialist “declarations” – has the “Declaration of Buxton” which promises $1,000,000 to every family in Guyana!!
Now, how about politics??. Your Eyewitness believes that one of the reasons why the PNC under Norton lost big time to WIN was they played a “hold me; loose me” game on this one!! If they clearly spelled out what they stood for – for all Guyanese – folks beyond their base might’ve given them a chance!!
The parties sill have some time to go before parliament convenes. There, if they don’t have coherent plans they’ll be shredded!!

…in it for us?
Remember we were the wall flower at the dance on the international scene for decades – cause we were considered drab and nondescript!! Now suddenly – because a fairy godmother named Janet waved her wand and invited Exxon to dig for and find oil under our Atlantic coast – we’re the belle of the ball!! So many suitors are lining up, we gotta decide to tell them our dance card’s full, innit?? After all, there are only so many times one can pirouette around the dance floor when we got things to do and places to see!!
Right off the bat we gotta realise we ain’t getting the full court press because our suitors suddenly discovered we’re the salt of the earth!! It’s the oil – and its attendant money – that they wanna get their hands on!! And some of those hands are pretty grubby – cause once they get what they want they’ll ravish our fair land and leave it barefoot and pregnant!!
Let’s play hard to get!!

…with campaign financing
GECOM confirmed they have no legal mechanism to penalise parties that fail to submit their reports – even though it’s the law!! The 13th Parliament must insert some penalties – to find out where Sanction Man got his financing!!