Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it

Dear Editor,
I have read an article written by a moderate Opposition Member of Parliament and published under the caption “Guyana’s politics need to focus less on the past and more on the future.” It is a nice piece of writing, filled with choice words that speak well to the mitigating circumstances that would lessen his party’s severity or culpability of past criminal offences.
The writer was making a valiant effort to remove that dark stain engraved on our landscape, but how much of an apology he has made is left to be seen.
Now, here’s the problem: no one would dare venture to put closure to the severity and long-lasting effects of the PNC’s backward policies on this nation. Their lack of vision, coupled with the fact that they have a built-in corrupt nature, speaks volumes of that party. These are things we will not forget; so, in order for us to make headway in future plans, we must take a glance back at where we’ve come from, then forge ahead with the great developmental tasks set before us.
Brother Bob’s lyrics, which state, “In this great future you can’t forget the past”, ring true to our cause in this part of the developing world. We will NOT forget that the PNC will never put away that diabolical system of rigging, which held this country down for 28 long years. The 2020 event was the most brazen attempt ever. In the words of Bruce Golding, it was “a transparent act”, meaning it was so glaring that it stunned our senses.
THIS tells everyone that the party is well vested, permanently and inalienably, in the rigging of elections.
Policy-wise, that party stank to the high heavens. It came into power in 2015, and did not a damn thing for the country; yet, after two months, it raised its ministers’ salaries by 50%. When the splurge ended, that party had imposed more than 200 new taxes on the citizens of this country.
In addition, they took away from the people — we are talking about the Joint Services — the end-of-year bonus, and from our children, the “Because We Care” cash grant. In agriculture, there was the closure of the sugar estates and the firing of over 7,000 workers, as well as many more in other sectors. There was no raise of pay or improvement in our financial status, which caused our further downfall.
In closing, I hasten to say there are many other atrocities that party committed, which are too numerous to mention, but I will stop here.
What ‘mister gentleman’ may well consider is to cross the border of politics and join forces with the ‘ONE Guyana’ Team to help build this country. I make this proposal based on the merits of his statement.
One must realize there are in the Opposition a few good people who have ideas and high moral values, and I say these qualities can be utilized to the good of the nation. They need to take their places on the right side of life. There can be no development or future outlook being in the Opposition, this is pellucid; so, why waste human resources over there?

Respectfully,
Neil Adams