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Reply to "IF LOCAL GOVERNMENT ELECTIONS WERE HELD SOON: THE APNU/AFC WILL LOSE MISERABLY"

Beyond the Promises

The newly-elected A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) coalition Government’s deadline for the implementation of its laudable 100-day plan expired at the break of dawn today.

Many of the promises contained within that plan, which was used to muster up political support ahead of the May 11, 2015 General and Regional Elections, remain unfulfilled.

Regardless of the “A” Grade that the new Government has given itself, it has failed miserably in the eyes of the populace as far as honouring these simple yet complex election goodies promises to the masses.

On Friday last, Prime Minister Moses Nagamootoo attempted desperately with the support of several Government Members of Parliament to mislead the National Assembly by alleging that his Government has fulfilled the mandate and spirit of the 100-day plan.

Surely, the Prime Minister knows that a promise is not completed until it is actually done and fully implemented within the agreed upon or promised timeframe. Any fulfilment of promises outside of this agreed-upon timeframe means that the original promise was modified with the consent of those who should have benefited and the agreement was remodelled. This is not the case.

At the moment of the expiration of the 100 days, the Value Added Tax nor Berbice River Bridge tolls have not been reduced. The new Government while in Opposition campaigned heavily on these issues and they should have been effected within the first 100 days without any excuses.

There were no “significant” increases for public servants on the traditional payroll. What workers got, in fact, was a five per cent increase, while those below the minimum wage which account for less than 15 per cent of the entire public sector benefited from “moderate increases” as a result of the hike in the minimum wage. While Government gave Old Age Pensioners a meagre $4000 more, it removed their ability to benefit from millions of dollars in subsidies for water and electricity.

Linden still does not have its television station and there is no establishment of “passport and birth certificate licensing offices in Berbice, Essequibo and Linden”. A makeshift facility was put in place so persons could receive their documents but not process them.

No date for Local Government Elections has been set and the new Government seems confused as to when these elections could be practically held. This is the most criminal breach of the plan given the positions adopted by the Government when it was in Opposition. There is no procurement Commission nor was constitutional reform delivered. No conference for women was held in reality nor was there a national youth council meeting. There has been no liberalisation of the Telecommunications and Information Communication Technology Sectors. There is no long-term economic development plan put forward by the new Government for the full realisation of the country’s vast potential.

The Government has failed the people and must be held accountable for the non-implementation of this plan and the Cummingsburg Accord regardless of the recent publicity stunt pulled and led by Messrs Harmon and Nagamootoo.

While the Government has not managed to completely accomplish its 100-day plan, it has managed to fire thousands of workers from the public service and within Government’s employ. Many of them coincidentally or not have been East Indians and Amerindians who supported the PPP/C.

The Government over the first 100 days managed to pull out a birthday bash and inauguration for the new President which amounted to millions of dollars as well. Over this same period, it managed to purchase a $22 million vehicle for the new Prime Minister and pay for partially or entirely the trips of several of its Ministers abroad for political and other forms of business.

It has also failed to address the crime and security needs of the masses, as scores were murdered, robbed or died as a result of road accidents during its first 100 days. Ironically, the President’s, PM’s, and Vice Presidents’ security details were enhanced and extensive repairs were made to their roads and residence within that time frame.

Perhaps even more criminal was the Government’s hypocrisy in delivering a PPP-derived budget to the populace which featured butchered, cut and pasted policies within a questionable legislative and economic framework to the Parliament.

The next 100 days await the public and given the trend, no one should hold their breath hoping for a fresh approach or paradigm shift.

FM
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