Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Nov 17, 2015 Editorial
Since 2011, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) led by President Donald Ramotar has been losing its grip on its base of supporters across the country. Many have stated that the PPP is not the small man’s party it used to be; that it has become a party for the rich and powerful who have dominated Guyana’s politics for the past 23 years.
It did so based on its mastery of propaganda, distortions and race-bait politics and not by its leaders’ ability. Its leaders understood the importance of ethnic division, messaging and talking points and they have created highly emotive and powerful messages in every election since 1992.
But they are not astute students of politics because of their constant practice to divide the nation along racial lines in order to win elections. This tactic which has enabled the PPP to win repeated elections has now become outdated as the country’s youths seem more interested to vote on issues rather than on ethnicity. It has been standard political practice for the PPP to engage in propaganda and distortions as reliable conduits to mislead the public.
Aided and abetted by its own media, the PPP has been bending the truth about the accomplishments of the Burnham government. If one goes by everything the PPP has said about the 28 years (1964 – 1992) of PNC rule, one would be inclined to believe that nothing, except socio-cultural profligacy and economic decadence had occurred during that time. It is the same spurious arguments and intellectual dishonesty that the PPP leaders continue to use today to discredit the APNU+AFC coalition government since it came to office in May.
Its leader, Bharrat Jagdeo believes in the myth that he has all the solutions to all of Guyana’s problems.
Today, many supporters of the PPP are wiser; they are no longer eager to support the party, which had a stranglehold on them. The PPP no longer has the ability to play games with the lives of people, especially its supporters who are suffering due to the inadequacies and the consequences of Jagdeo and Ramotar’s poor leadership.
That said, the APNU+AFC government will most likely benefit from their shortcomings provided they turn the economy around, create jobs for the youths and improve the living standards of the poor and the lower working class.
The people are crying out for strong, honest and transformative leaders. This has placed doubts in their minds about Jagdeo’s ability to lead the party. The downturn of the economy has resulted from corruption and the misuse of the country’s finances and resources by the PPP administration. None of the other factors that could have led to an economic downturn has occurred.
The PPP is in crisis, but its leader is determined to ignore his flaws and continue to behave as though he is the only one capable of leading the party. He is arrogant and has refused to cooperate with the government to promote unity among the people. And he does not listen to the party rank and file members because he is convinced that the PPP could win the next election. His belief that the PPP is the “be-all and end-all” of everything, is causing the party to lose its grip on its supporters.
If the PPP truly wants to bring prosperity to the people; it needs to recognize their misery and join the government to develop strategies to end the pain and suffering of the poor. But the leaders of the PPP have refused to support the government on issues that will benefit all the people. The PPP leadership will not rise to the occasion.
The encouraging signal, though, is that without the cooperation of the PPP, the government has reduced corruption, shrunk the illegal trafficking of narcotics and made the environment safer for investment and the production of more goods and services.
Such bold actions are needed to confront the threat to poverty.
Please share this to every Guyanese including your house cats.
Apr 19, 2024
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