Political Slant and Cant
Lies, Lies, and More Lies From the Main Opposition in Guyana
Guyana Journal, August 2006
Get the facts first. You can distort them later.– Mark Twain
When the PPP/C assumed office in the first truly fair and free elections (1992) after 28 years, it found a “country in despair, shattered dreams, utter poverty, poor social and physical infrastructure and a bankrupt treasury”. Mr. Hydar Ally pointed out that “Guyana, as a young nation, was in shambles. Our people were forced to eke out a living in an environment of total hopelessness. We were ranked as the second poorest country in the hemisphere. Every sector and every facet of life were affected.” – Hydar Ally: Stabroek News, 08/06/2006
One may make contrived claims that Ally is a PPP person and thus may be biased, but anyone can examine the fact dispassionately and squarely and then dispute, if you like, with counter findings.
The PNC
During the PNC era, there were:
“Lack of democracy, human rights and civil liberties.” Those who are old enough only need to jog their memories a little to remember the repeated rigging of elections. TV documentaries (which have never been aired publicly in Guyana) are well known to show the extent of some of the rigging. Think also about press freedom (a contradiction since it was eroded during Burnham’s PNC), political thuggery, beatings and murder meted out by ‘tonton macoute’ style operations and by the Rabbi Washington cult.
There was “an empty treasury”. Guyana sunk to being the second poorest nation in the West. With the exception of Haiti, Guyana had the lowest GDP. Inflation rose to over 100% per annum. Over the years the PNC had amassed a $US 2.1 billion debt.
The huge debt drained the financial resources – debt servicing accounted for virtually all revenues. This was a tremendous weight, from which there was no apparent escape. The “social and physical infrastructure was in a state of collapse.” The “productive sector was stagnated and stymied by poor administration, bad policies, unprepared staff and a collapsing infrastructure. Public Service wages were low.” Overall there was an aggregate negative growth rate (-3%).
In consequence “more than three-quarters of the people were living in a state of abject poverty.” How then can supporters of the PNC and others (like K. Ramjattan) make adverse comments about the PPP/C performance! By what political or moral authority?
Whatever one’s affiliation, these are indisputable facts. To say otherwise (as some do, e.g., Dennis Wiggins, Stabroek News, August 12, 2006) is wicked distortion for political and other reasons.
he popular press may report any such mis-information for propaganda purposes. But any scholar or academic, writing in a learned publication, would shy away from whitewashing and clouding the facts, for fear of losing credibility by his/her peers. As the saying goes: “Talk is cheap. Put you money where your mouth is.” In other words: support your statements or claim with hard data and empirical evidence, which are readily available to the public – if you are not too lazy to look. Such data are regularly updated by civil servants as part of their duties. There is no favor or disfavor to anyone or party in the statistics and/or reports.
So claims and opinions to the contrary may be simply spurious, deliberately slanted, and mischievous – all done to influence the public and thus gain political mileage. It is a methodology developed to great potential in Hitler’s Germany by Goebbels, and has been refined in the United States, and copied elsewhere. It is most certainly not happenstance! In some instances misstatement, exaggeration, slant and twist, and misrepresentation are warped with such well tuned finesse that they appear as truths.
The PPP/C
Compare the PNC’s 28-year tenure with the performance of the PPP/C. Despite opposition riots of 1997/98, the politically motivated strike of the GPSU in 1999, the opposition disturbance again in 2001 when the PNC refused to accept the election results, the infamous January 12 targeted ethnic abuses in Georgetown, the “freedom fighter” jailbreak in 2001 and consequential criminal mayhem that escalated, the floods in 2005, and other political destabilizing activities, the country under the PPP/C management has made significant strides – with an average positive growth rate at 7% in good times (1992-1997). During the global economic upheaval in 1998 this rate was slowed down (but still positive). As expected, the big flood in 2005 had a serious effect in slowing down certain areas of growth (but lower than predicted by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean).
In addition, Guyana is one of the most open and democratic countries in the Americas, and the world. There is total freedom of expression – in radio, television, and print media. Elections are held periodically as determined by the Constitution – free and fair – and open to many international observers, including the prestigious Carter Center. The business of government is conducted with full financial accountability, something that died during the PNC reign. Guyana GDP has increased almost three-fold during the current PPP/C. Foreign reserves have also increased significantly.
The PPP government, through Cheddi Jagan and Bharat Jagdeo, was able to successfully negotiate substantial write-offs and forgiveness from the World Bank, IMF, under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, and the Paris Club creditors.
Now with the negotiated write-offs Guyana is saving millions of dollars in debt service. When the PPP/C took office in 1992, 97 cents on the dollar was for servicing the debt amassed by the PNC; today it is only 12 cents on the dollar. Thankfully this ‘extra’ money is being used for infrastructural and social services such as education and health.
Water facility and housing developments have skyrocketed. And so has the physical and social infrastructure.
The Intangibles
There are other areas of improvement that are not so obvious because they are either intangibles or not so well publicized. For example, all the basic freedoms and rights have been revived. The country has been restored to international creditworthiness (discussed below). There is equality of opportunity (access to health, education, employment in government services) for all Guyanese. And although it may appear contradictory, the PPP/C government must be credited for maintaining the peace – in this cauldron of high ethnic volatility. One other very significant aspect that goes unnoticed is the opening up of the credit market that offers low interest loans to consumers, which becomes doubly beneficial because of the stability of the currency. Thus Guyana has regained respectability regionally and internationally, and the Guyanese citizenry, who were once considered the dregs of society especially by some Caricom countries, and being kicked around from pillar to post, can walk tall and face the world with pride and distinction.
Conclusion: The Hard Facts
During the PNC/Hoyte much touted claim of economic recovery, Guyana was ranked No.58 for the period 1988-1990 by the UN Conference on Trade and Development. In fact, Guyana was declared “uncreditworthy” by the IMF because of default on debt repayment. Under the PPP, Guyana was ranked No.17 (2005), the highest ranked country in the Caribbean. This is the hard fact – the truth which is often denied and manipulated by opposition elements.
Whatever the political motivations may be, wild distortion is just that. ‘Lies, lies and damned lies’ cannot fool all the people all the time, but only those who are gullible and live in denial. Despite the crime that continues with front-page splash and sensation, “Guyana has continued to make progress under the PRGF arrangement. The exchange rate has remained stable, the external current account position was better than anticipated and the structural reform agenda has moved ahead. The macro-economic programme was on track, seen in particular in a solid fiscal performance,” according to the IMF 5th Review of Guyana’s economic performance, February 1, 2006.
The PPP/C has made sound promises in election campaigns repeatedly and have delivered these because of planned policies, programs, and sustainable projects.
– Diaspora Voices from the Garage
Lies, Lies, and More Lies From the Main Opposition in Guyana
Guyana Journal, August 2006
Get the facts first. You can distort them later.– Mark Twain
When the PPP/C assumed office in the first truly fair and free elections (1992) after 28 years, it found a “country in despair, shattered dreams, utter poverty, poor social and physical infrastructure and a bankrupt treasury”. Mr. Hydar Ally pointed out that “Guyana, as a young nation, was in shambles. Our people were forced to eke out a living in an environment of total hopelessness. We were ranked as the second poorest country in the hemisphere. Every sector and every facet of life were affected.” – Hydar Ally: Stabroek News, 08/06/2006
One may make contrived claims that Ally is a PPP person and thus may be biased, but anyone can examine the fact dispassionately and squarely and then dispute, if you like, with counter findings.
The PNC
During the PNC era, there were:
“Lack of democracy, human rights and civil liberties.” Those who are old enough only need to jog their memories a little to remember the repeated rigging of elections. TV documentaries (which have never been aired publicly in Guyana) are well known to show the extent of some of the rigging. Think also about press freedom (a contradiction since it was eroded during Burnham’s PNC), political thuggery, beatings and murder meted out by ‘tonton macoute’ style operations and by the Rabbi Washington cult.
There was “an empty treasury”. Guyana sunk to being the second poorest nation in the West. With the exception of Haiti, Guyana had the lowest GDP. Inflation rose to over 100% per annum. Over the years the PNC had amassed a $US 2.1 billion debt.
The huge debt drained the financial resources – debt servicing accounted for virtually all revenues. This was a tremendous weight, from which there was no apparent escape. The “social and physical infrastructure was in a state of collapse.” The “productive sector was stagnated and stymied by poor administration, bad policies, unprepared staff and a collapsing infrastructure. Public Service wages were low.” Overall there was an aggregate negative growth rate (-3%).
In consequence “more than three-quarters of the people were living in a state of abject poverty.” How then can supporters of the PNC and others (like K. Ramjattan) make adverse comments about the PPP/C performance! By what political or moral authority?
Whatever one’s affiliation, these are indisputable facts. To say otherwise (as some do, e.g., Dennis Wiggins, Stabroek News, August 12, 2006) is wicked distortion for political and other reasons.
he popular press may report any such mis-information for propaganda purposes. But any scholar or academic, writing in a learned publication, would shy away from whitewashing and clouding the facts, for fear of losing credibility by his/her peers. As the saying goes: “Talk is cheap. Put you money where your mouth is.” In other words: support your statements or claim with hard data and empirical evidence, which are readily available to the public – if you are not too lazy to look. Such data are regularly updated by civil servants as part of their duties. There is no favor or disfavor to anyone or party in the statistics and/or reports.
So claims and opinions to the contrary may be simply spurious, deliberately slanted, and mischievous – all done to influence the public and thus gain political mileage. It is a methodology developed to great potential in Hitler’s Germany by Goebbels, and has been refined in the United States, and copied elsewhere. It is most certainly not happenstance! In some instances misstatement, exaggeration, slant and twist, and misrepresentation are warped with such well tuned finesse that they appear as truths.
The PPP/C
Compare the PNC’s 28-year tenure with the performance of the PPP/C. Despite opposition riots of 1997/98, the politically motivated strike of the GPSU in 1999, the opposition disturbance again in 2001 when the PNC refused to accept the election results, the infamous January 12 targeted ethnic abuses in Georgetown, the “freedom fighter” jailbreak in 2001 and consequential criminal mayhem that escalated, the floods in 2005, and other political destabilizing activities, the country under the PPP/C management has made significant strides – with an average positive growth rate at 7% in good times (1992-1997). During the global economic upheaval in 1998 this rate was slowed down (but still positive). As expected, the big flood in 2005 had a serious effect in slowing down certain areas of growth (but lower than predicted by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean).
In addition, Guyana is one of the most open and democratic countries in the Americas, and the world. There is total freedom of expression – in radio, television, and print media. Elections are held periodically as determined by the Constitution – free and fair – and open to many international observers, including the prestigious Carter Center. The business of government is conducted with full financial accountability, something that died during the PNC reign. Guyana GDP has increased almost three-fold during the current PPP/C. Foreign reserves have also increased significantly.
The PPP government, through Cheddi Jagan and Bharat Jagdeo, was able to successfully negotiate substantial write-offs and forgiveness from the World Bank, IMF, under the Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative, and the Paris Club creditors.
Now with the negotiated write-offs Guyana is saving millions of dollars in debt service. When the PPP/C took office in 1992, 97 cents on the dollar was for servicing the debt amassed by the PNC; today it is only 12 cents on the dollar. Thankfully this ‘extra’ money is being used for infrastructural and social services such as education and health.
Water facility and housing developments have skyrocketed. And so has the physical and social infrastructure.
The Intangibles
There are other areas of improvement that are not so obvious because they are either intangibles or not so well publicized. For example, all the basic freedoms and rights have been revived. The country has been restored to international creditworthiness (discussed below). There is equality of opportunity (access to health, education, employment in government services) for all Guyanese. And although it may appear contradictory, the PPP/C government must be credited for maintaining the peace – in this cauldron of high ethnic volatility. One other very significant aspect that goes unnoticed is the opening up of the credit market that offers low interest loans to consumers, which becomes doubly beneficial because of the stability of the currency. Thus Guyana has regained respectability regionally and internationally, and the Guyanese citizenry, who were once considered the dregs of society especially by some Caricom countries, and being kicked around from pillar to post, can walk tall and face the world with pride and distinction.
Conclusion: The Hard Facts
During the PNC/Hoyte much touted claim of economic recovery, Guyana was ranked No.58 for the period 1988-1990 by the UN Conference on Trade and Development. In fact, Guyana was declared “uncreditworthy” by the IMF because of default on debt repayment. Under the PPP, Guyana was ranked No.17 (2005), the highest ranked country in the Caribbean. This is the hard fact – the truth which is often denied and manipulated by opposition elements.
Whatever the political motivations may be, wild distortion is just that. ‘Lies, lies and damned lies’ cannot fool all the people all the time, but only those who are gullible and live in denial. Despite the crime that continues with front-page splash and sensation, “Guyana has continued to make progress under the PRGF arrangement. The exchange rate has remained stable, the external current account position was better than anticipated and the structural reform agenda has moved ahead. The macro-economic programme was on track, seen in particular in a solid fiscal performance,” according to the IMF 5th Review of Guyana’s economic performance, February 1, 2006.
The PPP/C has made sound promises in election campaigns repeatedly and have delivered these because of planned policies, programs, and sustainable projects.
– Diaspora Voices from the Garage
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