PPP/C Members of Parliament Recall 23 Years in Government—Hon. Walton-Desir Reboots Their Memory

By Nicole Telford- At the 66th sitting of the National Assembly, the Shadow Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hon. Amanza Walton-Desir, sharply criticized the PPP/C party. Her response came during the Parliamentary debate on the motion to increase the internal and external debt ceiling.

Walton-Desir addressed what she labeled as the “failures and incompetence” of the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C). As she took the floor, the atmosphere grew tense, with visible agitation from the PPP/C members of Parliament.

Expressing her confusion over the PPP/C’s narrative of events, she said, “I was puzzled when I heard my colleagues from the other side… trying to justify the unjustifiable.” Walton-Desir emphasized that many social benefits the PPP/C championed were initiatives of the previous PNC Government. She added, “The foundation they’re aiming to build upon was established by the PNC.”

She pressed the PPP/C members to acknowledge their historical actions, noting, “Credit must be given where it’s due.” Listing several projects under the PPP/C’s governance, she highlighted their failures. She fervently questioned, “What did you achieve in those 23 years? Was it not under your administration that Guyana turned into a narco state, and was subsequently blacklisted for money laundering?”

Despite the growing uproar from the PPP/C members in the assembly, Walton-Desir persisted in her critique. She emphasized that while the PNC’s rule had its flaws, the PPP/C couldn’t pretend to be faultless. Asserting her stance, she declared, “Now that we have set the historical record straight, I will proceed to address this motion.”

She pointed out discrepancies in the PPP/C’s statements, highlighting, “The honorable Vindhya Persaud mentioned growth in the non-oil sector, yet the Minister of Finance himself reported a decline in this sector in the 2023 budget.” Citing the Bank of Guyana’s Mid Term Report, Walton-Desir noted it had shown downturns across different sectors.

The PPP/C’s tenure, spanning from 1992 to 2015, witnessed its share of controversies. Over 1,400 unsolved murders occurred, many under the Bharrat Jagdeo Presidency. The nation grappled with a surge in the narco trade. The unresolved murder of PPP/C Minister of Agriculture, Satadeyaow Sawh, remains a haunting memory. The era also saw widespread discoveries of concealed cocaine in everyday goods, leading to alarming headlines. The nation was rattled by frequent drive-by shootings, bank heists, and major incidents like the Bartica, Lindo Creek, and Lusignan massacres.