The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) Government has been at the receiving end of multiple signals from foreign forces that its reckless governance will no longer be tolerated.
Political Scientist, Dr David Hinds said the United States would be very concerned about the rise of an authoritarian state in Guyana, because it is aware that authoritarianism leads to militancy by the people.
Dr Hinds said the PPP Government continues to demonstrate its recklessness, particularly because it attained power through regime change. However, those very forces have an innate interest in Guyana as a petro state, and would not want to see the PPP descend the country into ruin.
“The Americans are quite aware that that could happen again, so, they’re not going to move against the PPP because the PPP is treating their client nice, they’re all worried about what that reckless governance could lead to and it could be a repeat to what happened between 2002 to 2006. So I think there are subtle moves on the part of the Americans to signal to the PPP this recklessness can’t go on forever,” he said during his appearance on the KAMS TV morning programme, Wednesday.
The Working Peoples Alliance (WPA) executive cautioned that if not the combined opposition, some groups in the society could take matters into their own hands and rise up against the government because of it’s ill-treatment of especially poor and vulnerable Guyanese.
Prior to it’s recent appearance before the United Nations Human Rights Committee, the government was hauled before the United States Congressional Black Caucus in Washington to respond to complaints of widespread racial discrimination against African Guyanese, as well as unequal economic opportunities, among other issues.
Dr Hinds said even after that meeting , the government returned unbothered and continued his its high-handed governance.
“The Americans summoned them to go Washington and schooled them, but they come back and still continued to turn up their noses and I think their calculation is that these foreign forces have no option than to stay with them because they’re giving them everything they want. You know, they’re giving Exxon, they’re protecting Exxon, and so if you’re doing all of that for these foreign forces, …the USA is not likely to move against you. This is what the PPP, I think, calculated.”
Before the Geneva, Switzerland human rights committee last week, an unprepared Minister of Parliamentary Affairs and Governance , Gail Teixeira was grilled on corruption, human rights and public accountability for state assets in Guyana.
Teixeira, startled by many of the questions, was blasted for pointing fingers at the previous government and discrediting the allegations laid before her.
Meanwhile, Dr Hinds said the visit to Guyana by former US President Bill Clinton was also no coincidence. And while his visit was related to the Dominican Republic’s Chamber of Commerce, he said no US official would come to Guyana without being fully briefed on the conditions that exist here.
“ So all those Americans who are coming here, those big time Americans will come in here, their coming here is part of a signal to the PPP that we have interest in this place and we would like this place to be governed properly.”
Before Clinton’s visit, Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William J. Burns met with President Irfaan Ali and top Guyana Security Officials, last week.
Dr Hinds said the French Government’s announcement of the establishment of embassy here next year, is another signal that no violation of human rights will be tolerated.
He assured that autocratic regimes do not last forever, pointing out that many of the things the opposition and Guyanese have been complaining about were brought up against the government by the UN human rights committee.
“I’m saying is that for those of us who think that the PPP is invincible and then the only thing you can win them with it’s to throw them out. Opposition supporters feel that there is nothing that you can accomplish short of removal of the government and I am in sympathy with that position because like I said, it arises out of a constant beating and you come to believe that the government is invincible.”
He opined that the government could be at risk of sanctions following its appearance before the human rights committee as the eyes of the world is on Guyana. He said chances of the PPP getting away with its treatment of Guyanese have become slimmer and slimmer.
Dr Hinds said as Guyana prepares for the next election, citizens must press for better electoral arrangements, including a clean voters list and biometrics.
“They’re not going to give in. That’s how dictatorships work. Dictatorships don’t give in, you have to pressure them,” he stated.
