In a reflective and sharply critical op-ed today, political analyst Dr. Mark Devonish described the betrayal of foundational political values in Guyana, particularly highlighting recent crossovers from the People’s National Congress (PNC) to the People’s Progressive Party (PPP).
Recalling a formative moment in his youth, Devonish shared, “That day, 6th August 1985, found me in a disposition best described as conflicted, still grappling with the finality of death, having endured the tragic demise of my beloved mother, at the hands of an uncaring healthcare.” He remembered learning of the death of President Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, who died while undergoing an operation at the Georgetown Hospital, noting, “That man from the Monument, of lengthy speeches, has died…our President having encountered that phantom entity identified, is very unlikely to be ever counted amongst us again.”
Devonish said his early exposure to the ideals of PNC leadership through study and reflection informed his understanding of what he termed “Conviction Politics.” He explained, “With fundamental values constitutive, the innumerable external pressures, unquestionably significant, were matched by an unshakeable leader, globally respected as a Conviction Politician.”
Turning his attention to contemporary politics, Devonish criticised the PPP for prioritizing self-interest over national interest, claiming it leaves the impoverished majority marginalised despite the country’s oil wealth. “Jagdeo’s PPP Opportunistic Politics, in prioritising self-interest over national interest, represents the antithesis of PNC,” he wrote.
He added that the PPP’s approach reflects a Machiavellian mindset: “Guided by consequentialism, they’re prepared to employ short-sighted gimmick, vis-à-vis police promotions, even as pervasive corruption is overlooked, all to achieve their political endpoint to control our resources.”
Devonish expressed disbelief at the ease with which former PNC members joined the PPP, highlighting statements from Jermaine Figueira as illustrative of this shift. “His political home he has now identified in PPP…all being underpinned by the Opportunistic Politics of PPP,” Devonish said, pointing to crossovers including James Bond, Daniel Seeram, and Richard Van West-Charles. He concluded, “Having unashamedly betrayed LFSB ideals, and in extension those of PNC, they’ve distinguished themselves, along with the party they now slavishly serve, as wholly self-serving.”
Despite his critique, Devonish emphasiSed that voters still face a binary choice: “Positioning two parties, one epitomising opportunistic self-interest, contrasting with the other standing for the conviction of national interest, mean we the electorate effectively have only one choice, in APNU.” The PNC is the major party in the APNU coalition.
