A hundred days of perfume whose scent is yet to be detected

SEPTEMBER 25, 2015 | BY KNEWS | FILED UNDER FEATURES / COLUMNISTS, FREDDIE KISSOON

It has become the norm all over the world for the media and academia to identify a hundred days as the period to evaluate a new government. President Zarkozy of France had his hundred days assessed by most top global newspapers. Leaders themselves tend to address the nation on their first hundred days of power. The same Zarkozy addressed France and offered an apology for mistakes made in that period. How has the historic coalition of APNU-AFC done? I honestly cannot give them an Excellence grade. But in all honesty, the new government inherited a virtual vortex of national destruction, the real nature of which I don’t think many of its top leaders were deeply familiar with before they won the May 2015 General Elections. I don’t think David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo had extensive knowledge of the nihilism that the Jagdeo/Ramotar cabal created in Guyana. I saw a picture in the press of President Granger being gracious with a certain lady that is a big drug trafficker. I wanted to ring Joe Harmon immediately. I don’t think as Opposition Leader, he knew about this woman’s involvement. For sure, CANU has the file. CANU is tainted and the sooner its hierarchical personnel is changed, the better. I am quite prepared to offer my incontrovertible evidence to President Granger. The hundred days could not have been mellifluous. It couldn’t even have been attractive. The scope for being generous to the people of Guyana was simply not there. The intention was there alright but not the resources. In a hundred days the doors to some horizons have been slightly opened, and for that one must be thankful for small mercies. The elevation of the minimum wage was beautiful. The reintroduction of the stipend to Critchlow Labour College was great. Old age pension was increased and that was superb. All Guyanese wanted the curtailment of the excessive benefits that President Jagdeo gave himself when he demitted office. Linden got its own television station. Guysuco got billions of dollars in subsidy. VAT came off of many items. The Berbice Bridge toll was reduced. That ran into a problem and water taxis were rightfully introduced. I am not an economist. Depending on your training, you will look at the hundred days from a perspective that others may not be interested in. I have no doubt the economist will concentrate on financial directions and statistical layouts and assess the hundred days in ways others may not. I use myself as an example. In studying society, I apply philosophical concepts to assess whether freedoms, liberties, justice, democratic enhancements, equal treatment of the lower classes have expanded or if there are indications that they will. In the first hundred days of the APNU+AFC administration, on the levels identified above, I will not give them a high grade. There are serious indications in those first hundred days that if we do not apply relentless and meticulous surveillance, certain retrogressive steps may come about. I plan to join the Kaieteur News press contingent if and when the President and the Prime Minister appear together at the same press conference. I will ask them to go deep into their minds and give me an elucidation that can withstand intellectual demolition of how they can vote for the removal of the barriers around Parliament when Donald Ramotar and Sam Hinds were in charge of Guyana, but now David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo are in power the barriers have increased not by a few but by dozens and have swallowed up more surrounding streets. I will give anything to hear their rational justification. I think the Chronicle and the state media need to open up more to opposition news and independent voices. There seems to be a move to pursue a culture of secrecy. The nation was told that there cannot be public dissemination of financial details of the Marriot Hotel. All Guyanese wanted the transparency during the Jagdeo/Ramotar reign. Now the APNU-AFC seems to have fallen back on old culture. People who commit illegal acts against the resources of Guyana have had their identity protected by the APNU-AFC Government. The police and judicial system are still hunting down poor people. The nation was informed that culprits from the fallen PPP regime took millions of unauthorized gasoline from Guyoil, was asked to repay the money, and the government withheld their identities. Was the Champion one of them? Some APNU-AFC Ministers have adopted Jagdeoite hubris and Ramotarian hauteur. I end with my favourite ending. God is dead. Marx is dead. Gandhi is dead. Mandela is dead. And I’m not feeling too well myself.