It’s said in the good book, “What has been will be again; what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” While your Eyewitness can’t vouch for the veracity of THAT statement for ALL things, he can say with certainty that what’s playing out with opposition politics is nothing but the same ole, same ole!! Meaning when the PNC (then called PPP-Burnham) couldn’t win the 1957 elections – which was in essence a referendum on who should be leader of the PPP, Burnham or Jagan – they insisted the SYSTEM should be changed so they would win!!
They went at it again in 1961 – using the broom as their symbol to illustrate how they’d “sweep” the PPP out of office. They failed. But this time they had Imperial friends who also wanted the PPP out. So lo and behold, the electoral system was changed for the 1964 elections and PRESTO – the PPP was kicked out!! But not before our infamous Black Friday – in which the not-so-goodly Opposition elements torched the business district in Georgetown. Simply to show the world that “things na regulah” with the politics in Guyana and change was needed!!
So here we are– after 28 years of rigged elections that kept the PNC illegally in power; 23 years of the PPP cleaning up the political, social, economic and everything else train wreck they’d made; 5 years of the PNC return but messing up so badly they promptly lost again – and we’re back to square one!! Meaning that the PNC – and their enabling sidekicks – are insisting again the political system be changed!! To what?? What a silly question!! To one in which they’ll have all power of course!!
But dear reader, you might be muttering (hopefully UNDER your breath so folks don’t think you’re “running off”!) “But the Opposition says they want “power sharing”!!” Poor naïve you, dear reader!! Didn’t that same Opposition explain the armed forces are their “kith and kin” – and they expect said kith and kin to support them when they launch protests?? And even though they don’t mention it, aren’t the Civil Service of the same ilk?? Why else the PNC constantly pushes mo’money for them?? They’ll have the power baby!!
So what are we to expect?? First there’s gonna be a big to-do about “coalition” politics. Their demand for “biometrics” and “clean voters’ lists” before they run in the upcoming elections is just a code for putting “shared governance” on the table. They’ll they bring out their “constituency” protesting in the streets, which will segue into racial violence to justify the “change for inclusion” they’re demanding!!
There’s nothing new under the sun!!
…sugar rebound?
So our sugar factories have started belching out their 19th century, soot-laden smoke, fortified the government putting their money where their mouthy is!! Your Eyewitness saw a report talking about new mechanization initiatives to both replace the labourers who ain’t showing up no mo to even “cut and drop” cane -and to reduce the cost of production. Not just to be competitive – but to actually NOT lose money every time we sell even a single pound!!
Let’s face some reality. Has management considered that mechanization might NOT deliver the savings it’s done in other jurisdictions? Guyana ain’t like Cuba or Brazil or for that matter , any other sugar-producing country. WE’RE UNDER SEA LEVEL -without even the rising seas – and this means that our method of draining the sugar lands will continue keeping the fields water-logged.
And when we introduce “mechanization”, we’re talking about not just the Bell Loaders that pick up the cane after they’re cut – but humongous HEAVY “mechanical harvesters” – which is gonna compact our water-logged soils.
Which lowers yields!!
