Will there be…ocal Government Elections?

Gecom – we’d been assured – was working diligently for months cleaning up the voters’ list so that it could run the next Local Government Elections (LGE) – due by the November!! But now we’re hearing about aspects of the LGE legislation that gotta to be amended – and because this doesn’t look likely before November, LGEs might have to be postponed!! There was rare unanimity of views about this possibility from the two sources who’re usually diametrically opposed – GECOM’s CEO Vishnu Persaud and Opposition Commissioner Vincent Aleander!! The stars must be in alignment!!
The latter threw shade – as he usually does at the PPP when he pointed out, “I get the impression that some people are not keen on local government. They like the situation as it is!” But that could also be just as applicable to now “Minority Opposition Leader” (MOL) Aubrey Norton!! He was badly mauled and defanged by Sanction Man’s WIN at the last General Elections when the newbie – with OFAC sanctions over his head like a dark monsoon cloud – still captured enough votes to become Leader of the Opposition (LOO). WIN announced that they’d be competing in every constituency at the LGE’s – which must’ve caused Norton’s (political) life to flash before his eyes!! Since the PPP’s been giving the PNC’s old base the full-court press ins handing out goodies like house lots etc, if WIN follows up with its depredations on the old PNC base, LGEs might just sound the death knell on Aubrey’s career – such as it’s been!!
Now there are sore losers and there are SORE losers!! Sure, no one likes losing – and get miffed when they do. The homily that “it aint about winning or losing but just about running the race” falls flat for ‘most everyone. But surely Norton’s been examining why he lost and is pulling up his socks. There’s always a tomorrow to fight another day!! Politics ain’t no game of Checkers – and even in Checkers you play to win.
Problem is those who backed Norton for PNC leader thinks he should be all “brute force and ignorance”!! But he ain’t shown any inclination to go down that road no mo – even though he’s had to concede to Black Pudding Man’s call for street protests!! But Norton knows this time na laang time like 1997 when Guyana wasn’t of any strategic importance to the US and Desmond Hoyte could execute his “slow fyaah; mo’ fyaah” strategy. This time around the US has to protect Exxon’s interest which goes far above corporate interests!!
So what’s Norton to do about the LGE?? Well as Alexander implied – let the LGE be postponed and wait for his nemesis Sanction man to be outfitted for that orange Jump Suit!!

…fall before pride?
In the poem “Ozymandias” Shelly reflected on the folly of rulers who believe they’re gonna live forever – and treated their subjects like so much scum to fulfil their oversized egos. “Ozymandias” was actually Ramses II of ancient Egypt and the poet was looking at his massive statue fallen in ruins in the sands of the desert – but with his characteristic sneer still visible on his stone lips.
“Nothing beside remains. Round the decay/ Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare/ The lone and level sands stretch far away.” The poet then quotes the ironic inscription: “My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;/ Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair”!! But even in the time of Ramses wasn’t it said, “Vanity of vanities…All is vanity”?
So what brought on your Eyewitness’ bleak reflection on the delusion of leaders about their mortality? Mostly the Little Caesars in Govt offices!
They should know that Pressie’s patience is running thin – and their day of reckoning is nigh!!

 …Oil?
As your Eyewitness predicted yesterday, the jury’s still out on whether the truce signed between the US and Iran to keep the Strait of Hirmuz open will last – because of Israel’s intransigence.
Hormuz’s closed again!!