The A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Government is demonstrating each day that it does not have the experience, intelligence, stamina, credentials and integrity to govern this country.
The coalition which was understandably full of pride, joy, patriotism and promises after finally winning the 2015 elections is continuing to fail in its mandate to reform the economy, push domestic growth and development while reducing crime and criminality in order to fully restore law and order.
The David Granger Government has also failed to end systemic corruption as well as graft and is largely seen by the populace as condoning wrong doings, Executive criminality, rape of the public treasury for aggrandisement and enrichment of its elections financiers, and the abuse of the judiciary in order to achieve its own political outcomes.
His Government which was expected to be very different from the opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), which held power over the past 23 years, appears to be removed from reality and the criticisms being hurled left, right and centre from its own supporters about the way it is managing the economy, handling state affairs, and the posture as well as public utterances of some of its leading members of government.
Instead of reshuffling his cabinet and responding swiftly to public outrage on many issues, Granger is busy enjoying the prestigious trips abroad and personal privileges which come with the Presidency.
He appears more interested in leaving a Nancy Drew legacy behind which is defined by Commissions of Inquiries, an obsession with renaming every national institution and piloting the rebirth of an already dead People’s National Congress in order to make it more appealing to future generations should his coalition be defeated in the upcoming 2020 elections.
President Granger, who still personally enjoys the public confidence of a large portion of the Guyanese populace and behaves in a statesmanlike manner when compared to some in the coalition, is surrounded by a plethora of bad advisors and racists supremacists in the AFC and APNU/PNC cabal.
His presidency is bound to be a disaster if he cannot take decisive actions against those ministers who appear to be in a public pageant to promote themselves and self-interests by using the press and official state functions to make the most outrageous, nonfactual, politically insensitive and discriminatory utterances.
Granger must do more to create jobs in the economy as youths are suffering and the level of unemployment and underemployment are reaching record levels when compared to 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2015 put altogether.
He must pay more than lip service to the concept of pursuing the diversification of the economy by rolling out policies that seek to bolster newer forms of technologies that could lead to the establishment of newer industries and businesses.
Instead Granger’s Government is no doubt pursuing radical, out-dated and ineffective reforms in the business sector that if continued will see a contraction of the productive and traditional sectors.
Also, his Government’s tender and procurement policies will lead to the decimation of Guyanese-owned businesses and the collapse of its manufacturing industry because of the rising instances of prejudice, bias, favouritism, unfair competition and the unnecessary outsourcing of goods and services to other companies in the region in order to secure kickbacks and goodwill endorsements.
Granger’s Government has not understood the importance of prudent economic and fiscal management of the country’s financial sector. This is clear when one takes a closer look at the drastic shift in the philosophy of the Bank of Guyana, the manner in which the Finance Ministry is being managed and the Executive’s failure to boost public spending and inspire local private sector confidence and growth.
Under his watch, crime and criminality has increased double-fold regardless of the manipulated statistics being released by the now politicised Guyana Police Force.
Despite the establishment of the State Asset Recovery Unit (SARU), the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU), the SWAT unit and the restaffing of the Ministry of the Presidency with security experts as well as former high-level army and police officers, no end is in sight to the wave of criminality taking place in communities around the length and breadth of Guyana.
He must also take blame for the failure of his Government to secure judicial victories in a series of cases brought by the state against companies and individuals who cheated the system and breached contracts.
That aside, the Social Protection Ministry, which was once seen as a shining light, is lagging behind and its Minister appears too consumed with party politics than responding to the need for social sector reforms, better welfare service and public assistance schemes for the poor and vulnerable.
Granger must decide whether he is a party man that is loyal only to the politics and ideology of founding leader Forbes Burnham or a modern-day President whose main interest is the welfare of his people. If he is the latter then he needs to demonstrate this by ending his government’s unresponsiveness, pride and haughtiness by pursuing policies that make him one of the best Presidents to deliver the people out of socioeconomic and race bondage.
On the other hand, history and time will deal with Moses in failing to lead the people into greener pastures and the promised land.
