Sincerity versus deception

Dear Editor,

The PPP/C’s campaign launch at Kitty Market Square on Sunday will go down not only as memorable but as the best by any political party. It was packed with a comprehensive developmental outline for the next 5 years. On the other hand, the APNU/AFC’s launch was only about great pomp and fanfare. It was all fluff meant to deceive once again!

In comparison, the APNU/AFC’s launch pales into insignificance even though millions were spent, some say taxpayers’ dollars, to attract people by providing free food, drinks and live entertainment by well-known artistes. The coalition needs to understand that content matters most of all!

The APNU/AFC’s campaign launch and the presentations delivered were supposed to convince Guyanese to vote for that party but it reminded me of damp squibs which failed to ignite. The lacklustre deliverances were devoid of any concrete plan and were filled with regurgitations of past promises. It reminded of so much of the 2015 failed promises and the dismal failure of the coalition to bring about the ‘good life’ and the ‘progress’ they had chanted so incessantly about.

The presentations were all about holding on to power as was evidenced by Granger’s statement when he said, “We are going to reform the Constitution so that that nonsense (referring to the No-Confidence Motion) they tried for us in the last twelve months doesn’t happen again”.

This has now made it pellucid and conclusive that Granger intentionally violated the Constitution because he is of the opinion that Article 106 is “nonsense”. This man has no right to the presidency of this country! No President has ever dubbed and labelled their country’s Constitution with such disdain and utter disregard!

This also makes it conclusive that if this man is ever elected to the presidency again then his dictatorial rule is guaranteed and Guyana will be worse off than at the end of the 28 years dictatorship of the PNC. The entire presentation’s main thrust was oil and riddled with more promises of ‘good life’. For nearly 5 years Guyanese have traversed backwards!

Unlike Granger’s team, the PPP/C campaign launch presentations were filled with factual statistical analysis to highlight the abysmal failure of the coalition and its penchant for corruption and wasteful spending whilst presenting to Guyanese an achievable plan to steer Guyana’s economy back on the road to progress. Dr Ali’s presentation was totally inspiring and he made it clear that the emphasis will not only be on oil but all the other sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing, mining, forestry and tourism.

He also outlined some transformative projects and emphasised inclusivity of all Guyanese. He will be a President for all Guyanese! Dr Ali’s delivery was passionate, emotional and factual and honest but Granger had nothing to brag about except the establishing of towns, Local Government Elections, which they lost badly, and some cosmetic infrastructures.

His presentation was devoid of any meaningful content and his attempt to tarnish the character of Dr Ali was most distasteful to say the least. A political party must campaign on its achievements and the coalition has nothing to brag about!

Furthermore, if the coalition was in some state of sanity they should never have chosen D’Urban Park to launch its election campaign since it marks a project which epitomises squandering and corruption at its best! It has to be that these people have gone mad! The Auditor General’s report has revealed that the Public Infrastructure Ministry cannot account for $500 million of taxpayers’ money, undisclosed donations of $64 million and that $177 million in payment vouchers cannot be found by the auditors. This corrupt project was started in 2015 as soon as they assumed office and it cost the taxpayers approximately $1.4 billion. It was their first big one and indeed it set the stage for many other corrupt deals to follow!

In conclusion, any sane and reasonable person looking at the D’Urban Park stadium on that Friday night would have to wonder how come these people are asking for another term when they are standing, speaking, singing and dancing on their very own monument of corruption and all the while begging for another chance!
Those whom the gods wish to destroy they first make mad!

Yours sincerely,
Haseef Yusuf