Countermeasures against dictatorship are needed and resources given away
Dear Editor,
Nearly five months have passed but measures have not been put in place to counter the rise of dictatorship and or to protect our natural resources. As Mr Glen Lall has informed us, our natural resources that are being given away and in fact also subsidized with tax benefits (December 27) for foreigners with disadvantaged Guyanese companies to compete with .
The public needs to be reminded that the plan or plot to install a dictatorship during the March 2 election rigging has not been abandoned. The plan was to establish what was essentially a racist dictatorship with military and police support. The rigging was to give APNU victory and then use the armed forces to secure the victory. The diplomats prevented that plot from coming to fruition through international sanctions and pressure. The intervention of the ABCE countries was no more than the favor of any party, but they could not afford a military-backed and racist government in that regard. One remembers that ABCE countries supported the removal of PPP from its post in 2015. ABCE countries do not want to see a military-backed government set up.
The scoundrels have not given up on their desire to come to power. They still harbor feelings of assuming power through the great outdoors. The PPP has not thought of an effective response. Since coming into effect on August 2, the PPP has not pursued effective countermeasures; the government remains vulnerable as evidenced by violence in West Berbice where three lives were sacrificed to divide the people. Intelligence gathering has been weak on the violence and arrest of the brain behind the violence.
The PPP has shown itself to be very ineffective or adopt a “don’t care damn” attitude to safety. During the five-month attempt to rig the election, apart from a handful of dedicated loyalists who volunteered to protect the ballot boxes from interference, the PPP was not very effective in combating rigging. The PPP did not take concrete measures against the rigging, relying solely on the diplomatic measures of the international community. It was the diplomats who were at the forefront of the rigging and saved democracy. Had the diplomats been quiet or not proactive, the rigging would have been completed. On three separate occasions, measures were taken to swear David Granger; once Granger had sworn, then the election would be over. A dictatorship would have been in place. And we would have had to go to court and wait five years like what happened in 2015 and we are still waiting for a court date.
Democracy is very fragile in our country. Since August 2, almost nothing has been done to counteract any plan to destabilize the government. The kind of “one-person leadership” in government will not defend the August 2 victory. The destabilization plan of former government officials who have no qualifications about establishing a dictatorship needs concerted leadership and public interaction. Decision making requires collective participation. The PPP needs to strengthen organizations within the party. The youth group (PYO) and the women’s organization (PWO), among other groups, need to be re-established and refurbished. These groups need to be reactivated as in the glorious days of the Jagans. Village and party groups also need to be reactivated. These diverse groups need to be strengthened and put in place to counteract the destabilizing actions of their predecessors.
With regard to special benefits being given to foreigners for investing in oil and gas, we want the same for local investors. Tax reliefs should be deducted from foreigners. In fact, local people should receive more incentives than foreigners.
Truly,
Haresh Kumar Singh