| By Ralph SeeramAt this time of writing (Friday May 15) GECOM had not made its official declaration naming the APNU/AFC coalition winner of the 2015 election. The PPP had not conceded and was asking for a recount.While the PPP is in a severe shock, one must congratulate the Coalition for the campaign they ran, albeit a successful one.The APNU/AFC coalition message was on the theme “Time for Change”; it resonated with voters especially in view of the PPP’s record of transparency and accountability. Despite the PPP protests of irregularity and producing evidence of such one must give credit to the coalition; it ran a better campaign in terms of media, and especially social media to get its message across.I have expressed my view in these columns before that Bharrat Jagdeo is the destruction of the PPP. He single-handedly destroyed the PPP, moving it from it’s ideals of Cheddi Jagan and sidelining the hard core PPP stalwarts. Apparently the PPP did not learn from the 2011 election (cuss down politics). Jagdeo was brought back and his methods were the same. People saw Bharrat Jagdeo as the face of corruption and that turned off the potential swing voters. We know the old saying about doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.Mind you there were serious flaws in GECOM that needs to be investigated. How did fake Statements of Poll (SOP) enter the system? How did the PPP sign SOPs different from the GECOM signed copies? It is obvious that plans were made ahead by person or persons to perpetuate fraud. Those blank fake SOPs had to be prepared before.Despite whatever irregularities we have to accept that the Coalition has won and move forward.The Coalition unity train while it reached its destination did not pick up enough passengers as it wanted. The less than one per cent victory can hardly be deemed a breakthrough in race relation and unity as they would like you to believe. A win is a win regardless, but this election has left the races more polarized as ever.The challenge for the new APNU/AFC government is to make good of their promises of inclusive government.This week I have been bombarded with correspondence, via email, social media and phone. My phone batteries that normally last a couple of days were being charged twice a day, because of calls and moreso fears of mainly Indo Guyanese about the new government. This was mainly from the older generation who lived under the PNC government.There are genuine fears and the new government will have to demonstrate that Indians and moreso PPP supporters have nothing to fear.David Granger will have to assure the nearly 50 per cent that did not support him that he is the President of all Guyanese.So what are the expectations of the new government? Crime, corruption,Deion Jones Falcons Jersey, transparency and accountability and more employment opportunities must be on top of the agenda.Obviously there will be a review of all contracts— radio, TV, cable and other media contracts, all the things the then opposition criticized the PPP for, and now have an opportunity to correct.Question is, will the government seriously go after them? Will it revisit those generous logging concessions given to the Chinese company? Will it revise and complete the airport expansion? Will the government go after misuse of taxpayers’ funds,China Jerseys Cheap, especially NICIL?The new government will have to make good on the promise to reduce the Berbice Bridge tolls, VAT, increase old age pensions and salaries for public servants. Promises are easy to make on the campaign trail, now the government will be faced with making those promises a reality.Will a Granger Presidency go a la Kamla Persad-Bissessar route when it comes to any questionable practices by his Ministers?Expectations are very high of the new government, and people are going to look for quick results, not that the government can accomplish that. Some things will take time. A Granger government will have to instill confidence very early to the business community of its sound economic policies and fiscal management, to avoid a flight of capital and cause a devaluation of the Guyana dollar.It will have to assure investors that the country’s foreign reserves will not be depleted. They need to assure the private sector very early.Yes,NFL Jerseys From China, it’s easy to talk the talk, now a President Granger will have to walk the walk.It’s not only the new government that will have to make changes,Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping, but some critics of the PPP government. PPP as a whipping boy is no longer there.Kaieteur News has been in the forefront exposing corruption in the PPP government. The new government must expect the same scrutiny from this newspaper; a new set of critics will emerge,Andre Branch Dolphins Jersey, one that will be keeping an eye on the new administration.As for the ordinary Guyanese,Kyle Korver Hawks Jersey, what does this change mean for them, what immediate change will they experience?They still have to get up to go to work, still got to pays bills still buy food. Nothing really changes for the ‘small man”. Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: [email protected] and on Facebook. |
