Here we go again!! After holding up the business of Guyana for 5 months while they tried to steal the people’s votes, a year refusing to accept the PPP Government as “legal”, another five months to elect a PNC leader, then three months to get him into Parliament, the PNC still aren’t willing to perform their constitutional role as the official Opposition. Their latest feint is to throw tantrums about being informed about meetings with the President for constitutional “consultations”.
Now, if this isn’t passive-aggressive behaviour (PAB), what the heck is?? PAB, of course, is when you’re nursing some very negative feelings about someone or something, but you just can’t work up the courage to express those feelings openly. In psychology, we’re told that it’s due to low self-esteem inculcated in younger days – and this makes it difficult to be assertive as an adult. Normally, it’s precipitated by severe punishment or abuse, even as an adult.
Now, your Eyewitness always thought that the present Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton, was a very forceful – even aggressive – fella, not afraid to express his feelings. So now he’s wondering whether that dressing down by Desmond Hoyte back in the day, in calling him his “creature” and throwing him out as PNC General Secretary, did some permanent damage to Norton’s psyche. But, on reflection, your Eyewitness doesn’t think so. What’s more likely is Norton’s being pushed by the extremists in and out of the party to be “more confrontational”!! But he knows that, strategically, it doesn’t make sense! If he can get the PNC back into office by courting the “swing” votes, why drive them away with violent confrontation??
Anyhow, he’s taking the “middle of the road” approach, after accepting the PPP Government. (Duh!!) But he’s trying to show he’s not toadying up to Pres Ali. On his first consultations on constitutional appointments, he pushed the envelope by complaining that the President hadn’t explained the reasons for his nominations to the Public Service Commissions, etc. The President has no such obligation, but what the heck?!! Makes him look tough to the out-flankers?!
On May 13, a follow-up meeting was promised “within a week”, but Norton was only invited on May 27 to meet on May 30, He didn’t show up – said he was already engaged. The media did report him meeting with his constituents in some remote villages!! The Pres staff’s explanation that HE’d been engaged in the 3-day Agri Forum from May 19, then the Essequibo Independence bash on 25-26, then on to Barbados for their Agri Show on the 28, didn’t cut any ice!!
Next middle-of-the-road-move??
…against crime
Your Eyewitness almost fell off his chair after reading that the Police have to now learn Portuguese, Spanish and Chinese!! He wonders if this includes present staff! If so, it’ll certainly mean we’ll have to get along with no Policemen!! Sadly, most of our ranks have enough trouble coping with English, and now they have to learn a foreign language?? Apart from being a cruel and unusual punishment banned by the Geneva Conventions, isn’t that rather impractical??
The top brass have just insisted that the entry requirements are now 3 subjects at CXC. Is one of them gonna be a pick from the three aforementioned foreign languages? Now, your Eyewitness understands that the Police have to think ahead about the hordes of Portuguese speakers from Brazil and Spanish speakers from Venezuela who’re already here. But Chinese? Are they expecting China to send them as part of their B&I?
But really, folks, shouldn’t the Police insist that their ranks can first speak English? Especially words like “please”, and “thank you”??
…in politics
Norton didn’t just NOT show up at his scheduled meeting with Pres Ali, and complain about “short notice”. He fired a powerful salvo, endorsing the incumbent two top members of the Judiciary for permanent postings!!
Touché!!
