A lot of blame must be placed on the PNC
Viewpoint
IT is my view and undoubtedly that of most Guyanese that if Guyana has not done as well as it could have during the past seven years then a lot of blame is clearly due to he unpatriotic confrontational politics of the main opposition party, the PNC, added to effects of their 28 year long undemocratic, authoritarian rule which culminated with their so-called Economic Recovery Programme (ERP) resulting in Guyana becoming the poorest country in the Western hemisphere overtaking Haiti for this dubious honour. As is well known locally and internationally free and fair elections was returned on 5th October, 1992 resulting in the PPP/Civic being elected to office with the late Dr Cheddi Jagan a man of indomitable will and courage like President Nelson Mandela of South Africa, becoming President and Mr Samuel Hinds a man of the highest integrity becoming Prime Minister. The PPP/Civic then with their competent and dedicated ministers began their arduous task of rebuilding Guyana including Mr Bharrat Jagdeo who as Finance Minister played an important role in restoring the credibility of our country and who is now our President. Mr Jagdeo is now the target for unjustified attacks by those who were always against the PPP and are seeking to mislead Guyanese by arguing that it was Hoyte's PNC Economic Recovery Programme which has resulted in bringing Guyana back from the edge of the abyss. They would like the people to forget the undemocratic rule of the PNC and all the harm it did to the country and its people and also the negative effects of the ERP. It has been well documented for example that under Hoyte's ERP the Guyana dollar went from G$4 to US$1 to G$126 to US$1 a difference of G$122 which under the PPP/Civic it went from G$126 to $180 for US$1 a difference of G$54. Under the ERP our external debt went from US$800 million to US$2.1 billion. Public sector minimum wages which went down to an equivalent of US$25 is now valued at US$100. The developments took place under Mr Jagdeo as Finance Minister and public accounts were once again submitted to Parliament which hadn't been done for 10 years from 1982 to 1992. According to representatives of International Financial Institutions Guyana has done remarkably well and this in spite of violent street protests and political instability caused by Hoyte's PNC, falling commodity price on the world market for Guyana's exports and the El Nino-La Nina weather conditions which caused droughts and floods. The people who attack the PPP/Civic and their leaders such as Mr Jagdeo never admit these facts. We all know the results of the street protest on potential investments in the country. Who warned the CDC/ESBI investors in GEC to "quietly fade away" and who are now opposed to the Beal investment. More and more of the people are convinced that under President Jagdeo and the PPP/Civic Government Guyana is poised for accelerated investments, development and growth in 2000.
|