Dear Editor,
Dr Bharrat Jagdeo, the astute economist politician, is a man who is loved by the vast majority of people living in and out of Guyana, and there are many reasons for their adoration of the man. He is charismatic, that is, being the most adored local personality, having done great things in the development of the nation. You step back and take a good look at the work he has done in bringing back a country from the depths of poverty to one that has taken its place in the civilisation of nations; Guyana will never be the same again.
So, let’s trace the history of development and how we’ve got here, Jagdeo is the present-day guide in the PPP/C started by Dr Cheddi Berret Jagan. He highlights the ideals of the ordinary man; he fought for the dignity and social justice of people; he saw the upliftment of people first, and before the party, he was a grassroots leader. However, he did not live long enough to fulfil the goals of the Guyana Dream.
When Dr Jagan died, his wife took up the mantle but in like circumstances, she did not live long enough to achieve those noble ideals, however, in her own words she said: “If anything should happen to me, let this man take up the reins of power.” Those words were prophetic and true because she left us a rich legacy of hope on which we can build and look forward to the future, thus began the lifework of the other Bharrat, Bharrat Jagdeo.
He took up the mantle and led this country for 28 years, bringing us up from a backwater and a Highly Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) to a middle-income State. To have achieved such a task stops nothing short of being phenomenal. The party that Cheddi built is proud of teamwork and collaborative effort, a group whose sole aim is to achieve a common goal. It also speaks to the cohesiveness of the team and their ability to create a positive work environment, which lays the groundwork for futuristic development.
The point I am making is, that much of what Jagdeo – and by extension, the entire PPP/C Team – is promulgating is grounded in the age-old traditions formulated by The Freed Black Men and Women and later perfected by The Indentured Servants. It speaks to the principles of hard work, spending on that which is necessary, while frugally saving and looking forward to a better tomorrow. Our forefathers spent time educating their kids and hid something “under the mattress” for the times when things were not so good. This is sound economics even when done on a national scale.
The hatred, if you could call it that, comes from those who do not know how to manage their own homes, far less an economy. The Opposition certainly knows how to spend in a “corrupt economics” system, for example, I call it The Winston-Jordan economics of poverty. This was exemplified when they came into office, and promptly went on a spending spree, I am talking of a splurge on what took years to accumulate by the former PPP/C Administration.
Merely two months into power, the coalition’s economic formula was selfishly centred on freely taking a 50% salary hike, then soon after, burdened the country with over 200 new taxes, if this is not crass underdevelopment then what is? The point is, The Opposition lacks a modicum of economics; it is embedded in the nonsensical idea of spending all that you have, and then burdening the State with taxation; such backwardness is the cause of the downfall of many Third World Countries.
Therefore, I must conclude, that our One Guyana PPP/C Team would not countenance such retrogression, we would have done away with those retrograde formulas, and we are now on a futuristic thrust that would propel this country into a better today, and a prosperous tomorrow. Guyana is headed in the right direction and there will be no turning back now.
The negatives of the political naysayers cannot be rubbed off on Jagdeo or this country; we will continue to rise far out of their reach. In the meantime, they will continue to sit in the Opposition and watch a progressive country move forward.
Respectfully,
Neil Adams
