Dear Editor,
Moses Nagamootoo’s enthusiastic commemoration of May 11, 2015, as a day of triumph starkly contrasts with the grim reality faced by the Guyanese population during the APNU/AFC coalition’s tenure who, up to 2020, was still waiting on the promise of a ‘good life’.
Glorifying the APNU/AFC period as an “inclusive, national unity governance” as Nagamootoo did is not only disingenuous but also an affront to the countless Guyanese who suffered under the repressive policies of the former regime.
The APNU/AFC, far from enhancing the lives of citizens, plunged the nation into an economic morass marked by stagnant growth and spiralling cost of living, all compounded by the heartless imposition of over 200 new taxes and fees that strangled the ability of ordinary Guyanaese to thrive.
They robbed schoolchildren of the Because We Care cash grant; fired hundreds of Amerindians serving as Community Service Officers (CSOs) in hinterland communities; shuttered much of the sugar industry, sending 6000 workers home all while signing the single worst oil deal in the world.
While lives of Guyanese were being plunged into turmoil, the audacity with which the coalition increased their own salaries by an outrageous 50 per cent shortly after taking office is a blatant testament to their priorities—self-enrichment for themselves, cronies and associates over national welfare.
This act alone speaks volumes of their disconnect and disregard for the struggles of those they were elected to serve. Such greed and self-serving governance catalysed widespread disenchantment and disapproval among the populace, further eroding any trust in their leadership.
Even more egregious was their handling of the 2020 elections defeat and the preceding events. The coalition’s efforts to undermine the electoral process through deliberate and systematic attempts to rig the vote were not only undemocratic but an outright criminal manoeuvre to hijack the country’s future, holding it hostage to their despotic whims.
Nagamootoo’s claim of fighting against the “isms” of corruption – cronyism and nepotism – is ironically a mirror reflection of the coalition’s own practices.
Under their governance, these very elements were magnified, fostering an environment where transparency was obscured and accountability was all but absent. The real fighters in this narrative are the citizens of Guyana, particularly the youth, who stood up against this tyranny and championed the cause of genuine democracy and governance.
To recast May 11, 2015 as a day of remembrance is to rub salt into the wounds of all those who have endured and continue to reel from the catastrophic impacts of the APNU/AFC rule. It is imperative to remember this day not as one of celebration but as a solemn reminder of the perils of corrupt, self-serving governance and the enduring spirit of the Guyanese people who have found in the PPP a truly democratic and equitable Government.
Sincerely,
Kwame McCoy
Minister with the Office of the
Prime Minister
The post Nagamootoo’s commemoration starkly contrasts with grim reality faced during APNU/AFC’s tenure appeared first on Guyana Times.