OPPOSITION DOUBLE-SPEAK!!

Counter Punch: The ultimate success of any political party in Government is when the opposition comes across as being in a desperate mode to criticize the administration at all cost having exhausted all its options.

Such is the case in Guyana and the end result is a gradual loss of confidence by the opposition’s support base.
Recently a political party attempted to downplay the growing ability of citizens in this current period to accumulate assets such as owning a car and/or a home. In so doing this party came across as trying to convince Guyanese that the rapid changes underway all across our land in almost every sector is just a figment of their imagination. It was trying to convince those who are achieving what was once a dream that they should not be proud as their achievement is of little significance.
It is amazing that a party with absolutely no track record would feel empowered to tear down the achievements, hopes and aspirations of our people just to maintain political relevance in society. However, the opposite will undoubtedly occur as such statements will only serve to alienate even the opposition supporters who have been watching their standard of living rapidly improve. They are the ones that will see the obvious flaws in what their party is telling them and what is actually happening on the ground and this is where they will begin to lose confidence.
Sensing somehow that such an approach will not get the desired result, the local opposition has ramped up its accusations of discrimination in the distribution of economic resources in society. Somehow believing that it is successfully managing to tread a fine line by making such accusations but at the same time not openly coming across as race baiting as the election period unfolds, again the opposite has occurred. Groups in what were once their strongholds are now openly coming forward and expressing support for the PPP, effectively halting such a sinister campaign.
The opposition accusations of vote buying leveled against any development project in areas where they previously enjoyed unrivaled support does not help their cause in the eyes of voters as one cannot be accused of vote buying by executing development and empowerment projects in the very areas they are accusing the PPP of discriminating against.
Still not satisfied with their campaign of misinformation the opposition has resorted to labeling Guyana a narco state. Having previously told Guyanese that there is no development and the country is on the verge of collapse, it is now forced into a position where it belatedly acknowledges that there is development but now grudgingly attributes this to the illicit proceeds from the drug trade.
No one is denying that Guyana is a trans-shipment point for illicit drugs to the main markets in Europe and North America. The many headlines of persons being intercepted and prosecuted in several areas across the country is testament to the fact that gradually Government working with its security agencies are improving their effectiveness in fighting this scourge. Anti-Money laundering legislation has been enacted in the National Assembly and a financial intelligence unit has been activated. The long lines at the banks recently to verify the identity of account holders in keeping with the requirements of the FIU is already an indicator that Guyana has entered a new phase in its efforts to counter the many elements of the drugs trade.
But here is where the hypocrisy of the opposition is once again exposed. While it continues to criticize and play down the efforts being made to combat the drugs trade in Guyana, these are the very same people that heavily criticized the authorities when they had moved to have officers in the Customs Anti-Narcotics Unit take a polygraph to ensure the integrity of that anti-drug enforcement agency.
The end result of such a disjointed and opportunistic approach to Guyana’s development was clearly illustrated by President Bharrat Jagdeo at a recent press briefing where he noted that on several occasions in the recent past opposition elements had attempted to organize protest marches only to see them fail horribly. It is no wonder the opposition has already given up by throwing their hands up in the air even before the elections period has commenced.