“Race trumps facts in Guyana…the majority of PPP’s critics including the media, surprisingly, are not clamoring for the banishment of the PPP…”

Dear editor,

In the current political scenario of Guyana, the murmurs and whispers of racism, corruption, ineptitude, and money laundering surround the People’s Progressive Party (PPP), painting a grim picture of the governmental proceedings. However, the majority of public critics and Guyana’s media, surprisingly, are not clamoring for the banishment of the PPP, but instead yearn for reformation and improvement in its governance. The hope lingers that Jagdeo and his party will enforce accountability, especially against giant corporations like Exxon, and fortify public institutions that have long been weak and wavering.

What is interesting is that the media, a reflective mirror of society’s concerns, appear to maintain a conspicuous silence on the instances of racial discrimination, especially against African Guyanese, a matter that is critically serious and deserves immediate address and resolution.

Citizens who are honest and unbiased, however, will acknowledge that the inherent nature of the PPP government seems to be inclined towards corruption and abuse,  “rotten to the core” and beyond salvation. Guyana, a land teeming with potential and promise, deserves superior leadership that can uplift the nation and its people.

It is highlighted by many that during David Granger’s government, Guyana experienced a semblance of relief and reprieve. There was a noticeable restoration of law and order, and racial discrimination seemed to have been relegated to the pages of the past. Towns were cleaner, and there was a substantial increase in salaries for public servants, making life a bit more comfortable for them. However, Granger’s tenure was not without its flaws, with many pointing to his choice of ministers in some cases as a significant problem.

Our nation is now burdened by PPP leadership despite their egregious crimes which include extrajudicial killings, imprisonment of political enemies, and massive corruption because the collective aspiration of the major media, the elites, and their racially loyal supporters is not the eradication of the PPP but its transformation into a government that prioritizes the well-being and progress of its citizens above all, an impossible undertaking for this party of incompetents.  But race trumps common sense for many Guyanese citizens, so all must suffer for the sake of those who continue to support the PPP despite their incompetence and ineptitude.

Guyanese deserve a government that stands as a bulwark against discrimination, corruption, and abuses of power and works assiduously to strengthen public institutions, enforce accountability, and ensure equitable development across all ethnic and social groups.  The silent hope that the PPP, under the leadership of Jagdeo, will evolve and rise above its alleged propensities for corruption and abuse is a ‘pipe dream’.

Shane Headley