The PPP/C’s rotten return

Feb 25, 2025 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Peeping Tom…

Kaieteur News- The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) ought to have treated its loss in the 2015 general elections as a wake-up call. Its defeat should have been a moment of introspection, an opportunity to acknowledge that years of rampant corruption, cronyism, and a disconnect from its traditional support base had led to its downfall.

Instead, the party, in its characteristic arrogance, viewed its removal from office as a fluke, a temporary setback rather than a profound rejection by the majority people of Guyana. They even had the gall to claim they were cheated but have never produced the statements of poll to prove they were victims of an electoral heist.

The PPP/C lost in 2015 not because of some grand conspiracy. It lost because it had betrayed its supporters. Sugar workers, once the bedrock of the party’s support, were abandoned, ignored, and left to suffer while an oligarchic class within the party amassed wealth and power. By the time, one leader reached out to the sugar workers, he was told, “Boat done gone a falls!”

The leadership, drunk on its own self-importance, were blind to the growing resentment among its traditional base. But most of all, it was oblivious to the concerns over corruption.

Before 2015, controversies raged. The Marriott Hotel project was mired in controversy. The public is yet to learn of the identities of the investors who floated the syndicated loan. The Berbice River Bridge deal was also mired in controversy. The contract for the road to the proposed Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project was shrouded in controversy. The health sector was no better, with concerns about certain procurement practices. And then there was the forest giveaway and the handing out of the Kaieteur and Canje oil blocks.

The electorate, disgusted by the excesses, cast the PPP/C out. For five years, the party had ample time to reflect, to recognize the errors of its ways, to chart a new course that would restore public confidence. When it returned to office in 2020, there were glimmers of hope that lessons had been learned. For a fleeting moment, it appeared as though the PPP/C had recognized that it could not govern as it did in the past. But appearances, as we now know, can be deceptive.

The past five years have shown that the PPP/C has returned to its rotten ways. It is not just a continuation of the old tactics—it is an amplification. The same old discredited policies, the same lack of transparency are back with a vengeance. The difference is that now, emboldened by its return to power, the PPP/C behaves as though it is untouchable.

No one disputes that the PPP/C can get the job done. Infrastructure projects are moving ahead; economic activity is bustling, and on the surface, things appear to be progressing. But the issue is not whether the government is functioning—it is the manner in which it operates. The fear of corruption, the cronyism, the absolute disregard for public accountability have returned in full force. Deals are being made, contracts are being awarded and the nation’s wealth is being siphoned off at an alarming rate. It is of little comfort that the Opposition APNU+AFC is no better alternative.

The critics of the government have placed much attention on the oil and gas sector, with calls for a renegotiation of the lopsided contract with ExxonMobil. But those non-political actors so fixated on oil should look deeper at what is happening within the government. They would find far more damning reasons to question whether the PPP/C deserves another term in office. The culture of governance under the PPP/C remains one that is no different from the past. The party operates as though it has absolute ownership of the country’s resources. It rails against its critics and is unmoved by criticism. Its idea of inclusion is to mention the word; not to practice it.

The PPP/C is not a reformed party—it is a party that has refined its old methods. The lessons of 2015 have not been learned. Instead of using its time in opposition to reflect and change course, it has returned with the same old habits. Guyana cannot afford to continue down this path again. If the PPP/C is allowed to continue unchecked, the consequences will be dire. The people of Guyana must wake up to the reality that their government is not working in their interest.  The PPP/C has proven, time and again, that it cannot change. It is a party beholden to the oligarchic class that seized control long ago.  The warning signs are clear. The question now is whether the people of Guyana will recognize them before it is too late. The country cannot afford another five years of the same old practices of the pre-2015 era. It is time to wake up before the damage becomes irreversible.

(The PPP/C’s rotten return)

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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• characteristic arrogance, Peeping Tom, People’s Progressive Party Civic, Sugar Workers, wealth and power

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