SPORADIC bursts of intellectual wisdom surface today.

This wisdom painstakingly attempts to explain the negativities of the PPP/C administration. Very little wisdom surfaced in the PNC era to address that government's negativities.

It is not that I want to go back to 28 years.

But I think that an understanding of the present invariably requires a knowledge of the past. While some people may say it's cliché to want to return to the past, we will not find appropriate solutions if we don't examine the experiences of yesteryear.

If we suddenly are now bursting at the seams with all this political competence and wisdom, I don't want to believe that we didn't have it in the PNC years. And if we did have it then, and didn't apply it, why did we not use it, and why we, all at once, now want to use it?

Political wisdom and competence were always and still are with us, but we have utilised it selectively to suit our particular biased political ends in the pre-PPP/C governmental years.

The political wisdom prior to 1992 failed to comprehensively explain the abysmal parliamentary track record of the PNC administration at any time during the 28 years of its rule.

However, I will review only some of the Order Papers of the National Assembly between 1985 through 1992. Here goes.

The following motions were not approved in the National Assembly during Hoyte's PNC rule:

(1) A motion to hold long overdue local government elections.

(2) A motion to recommend that adequate medical personnel be made available in all rural and hinterland districts, and that all health centres be adequately staffed, given enough drugs, medical supplies, and means of communication.

(3) A motion addressing the shortage of milk, either locally produced, or imported, to satisfy the children's and adults' needs.

(4) A motion to address charges of discrimination sweeping through the PNC Administration.

(5) A motion allowing no civilian or other personnel of the Government, or of the public sector, to be dismissed or be imposed with a final penalty without the right to be heard and the right of defence against specific charges, and that where a judicial body rules in favour of the worker, reinstatement should ensue.

(6) A motion moved to introduce integrity legislation, impacting senior Government officials, members of the Government, and all Parliamentarians.

(7) A motion to institute a school feeding programme that would include a daily supply of milk to all children in kindergartens and other children nationwide.

Hoyte's tutelage showed that he held no local government election, gave low priority to medical service in the hinterland, sustained low health status among children, apportioned minimum concern for discriminatory matters, mocked around with workers' rights, showed no interest in an integrity commission, and displayed no apprehension for a chequered school feeding programme.

Little wonder that Hoyte and the PNC/R were rejected at the March 19 polls this year.

Hoyte's record shows a pattern, a pattern of sustaining vested self-interests as opposed to the people's interests. His abysmal record was rescued first, by the World Bank and IMF, and second, by the PPP/C in 1992.

Today, the PNC/R's prognosis for Guyana's future seems to have paid minimum attention to the baseline data in 1992.

At the commencement of the PPP/Civic administration, Guyana had a per capita income of US$330 and external debt per capita of US$2,260, placing Guyana as one of the poorest nations in the Americas.

Again, in 1992, 105% of government revenue was used for debt servicing (both domestic and external), resulting in an enormous burden on the provision of social services.

Today, debt servicing for both external and domestic, has been cut in half.

In addition, foreign investment to Guyana, today, totals approximately US$600M since 1992.

The return to democracy through the PPP/C in 1992 brought a PNC legacy of damaged social infrastructure in education, health, housing, and employment, resulting in the loss of an entire generation.

It took since 1992 a decade and a whole village to re-create and re-establish these infrastructure.

Only a strengthening of democracy will reinforce and sustain such significant social institutions.