As the nation gears up to go to the polls on March,2, next year, political parties will make promises but that does not mean that all will be delivered, admits People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR) Executive Member, Aubrey Norton.
The Executive member’s admission was articulated when he compared the promises that were delivered by the former governing party, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), and the governing coalition, the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Chance (APNU+AFC). The PNCR is the largest supporter-based party within the APNU.
Norton, during a press conference hosted at the PNCR’s headquarters – Congress Place, Sophia – said that any analysis done to compare the two rivals, will show that the coalition is “supreme”.
The former advisor to President David Granger, said that the PPP/C promises many things, but has a sordid history when it comes to realizing those promises.
“The PPP has an unenviable track record of failing to deliver on election promises made. The PPP in their 2011 Manifesto told Guyanese that they would hold local government elections; the PPP never held local government elections. The PPP promised to create 25,000 high quality jobs in the ICT sector; the PPP never delivered; instead, Guyana lost billions of dollars in a failed fibre-optic scam,” Norton said.
He added that the PPP/C had promised to open call-centres in Enmore, Tuschen, Corentyne and on the Essequibo Coast, which they said would create 5,000 new jobs. According to Norton, this did not happen. Other promises such as the deep-water harbour at the mouth of the Berbice River, the chip factory in Wakenaam and the cereal plant at Anna Regina were not delivered.
The APNU+AFC, when it contended the May, 2015, elections had introduced a 100-day plan; a list of measures that they promised to implement during their first 100 days of being in power. The government is on record saying that those promises were delivered. However, there are some sections of society that share an opposing view.
It is against this backdrop that the politician was asked how his Party views their performance when it comes to delivering on its promises.
Norton said that the PNCR is satisfied with its ability to realize most of its promises, given the challenges it faced in the early stages. He said that the PNCR was able to “do more than what the PPP[C] did, with the same resources”.
Nevertheless, Norton maintains that it is highly improbable that a Party can deliver on all its promises. He is of the belief too, that crime and corruption cannot be completely eradicated. Comfort can, however, be drawn from the “fact” that there is “less crime and less corruption” now when compared to the 23 years that the PPP/C held power.
