By Abena Rockcliffe
Even as he was reminded by House Speaker, Manzoor Nadir that actions of the President are not to be brought under scrutiny, or highlighted in the National Assembly, a leading opposition Member of Parliament was not deterred from making his point. Ganesh Mahipaul simply worked around telling the House that the President and his entire Cabinet are guilty of political hypocrisy. Mahipaul believes that the government is touting “One Guyana” while implementing policies and measures that solidify further economic division in the country.
He told the National Assembly that from the outset of the budget process in June of 2024, he hoped for a shift away from the “outdated, archaic practice of engaging solely with government agencies and party supporters and toward a more inclusive and meaningful dialogue with all stakeholders and the people of Guyana.”
In a thinly veiled effort not to mention “the President”, Mahipaul said that he engaged with persons close to the “Commander-In-Chief” with the hope that his leadership would reflect the promise of a departure from the divisive and partisan practices of the past as is touted in the “One Guyana” slogan. This is when the Speaker reminded Mahipaul of Standing Orders which stipulate that Members refrain from bringing the actions of judges and the president under scrutiny in the National Assembly.
Without further references to the President whose brainchild is the “One Guyana” initiative, Mahipaul said, “Unfortunately, what we see today is not the “One Guyana”. Instead, it is a One-Sided Guyana.”
He said the One Guyana initiative can only be meaningful if it is accompanied by genuine inclusivity, mutual respect, and a real commitment to collaboration.
Mahipaul said, there can be no “One Guyana” when selected communities with supporters of the PPP/C are getting economic upliftment by way of materials to build chicken pens and hundreds of thousands of dollars in cash grant distribution to open and expand their small businesses while other communities are kept in economic stagnation.
He questioned, “Why is it that places like Den Amstel, Bagotville, Uitvlugt, Stewartville, Sister’s village, and so many others are not in receipt of the same treatment as places like Wakenaam, Leguan, Tuschen, Parika and Leonora?” The Member of Parliament told his colleagues that village shops exist in these Afro-Guyanese communities too but the owners of shops in those communities never in the last four years got any cash grant to help them economically.
Further, Mahipaul further suggested that there is segregation in the distribution of financial assistance to cash crop farmers with the benefit going to those who “look like me.”
He said that further to the discrimination by virtue of race, there is discrimination by economic class.
According to Mahipaul, “Poor, hardworking, Indo-Guyanese fisherfolk are still awaiting their financial assistance…but all the big fisherfolk received millions. Small rice farmers are still waiting for their little assistance whilst the big farmers collected their millions.”
Addressing the Speaker, Mahipaul asserted, “We are living in a One-Sided Guyana. This is a tale of two Guyanas, the rich versus the poor, the connected versus the neglected, the friends, family, and favorites of the PPP/C versus the rest of us…what the Government is facilitating is the growth of oligarchs.”
Mahipaul said that even in this continued state of affairs, the government refused to consult on the 2024 Budget, and as such, it “falls short of its transformative potential.”
Mahipaul emphasized, “Democracy demands opposition participation. Yet this government has repeatedly excluded 49% of the population from decision-making processes.” He said that the opposition’s support is only sought “when it suits their convenience—like during the Guyana-Venezuela crisis. This selective engagement is not democracy; it is double standard.”
