In a desperate attempt to win over opposition strongholds ahead of the upcoming General and Regional elections, President Irfaan Ali has launched into a frantic, last-minute campaign, visiting communities he and his government have neglected for the past four years.
His recent visit to Melanie Damishana, a stronghold of the opposition People’s National Congress Islahat (PNCR) on the East Coast of Demerara, has raised eyebrows for all the wrong reasons. Ali’s sudden enthusiasm to engage with the very communities his government has sidelined throughout its term is not only suspicious but reveals the extent of the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP’s) electoral desperation.
During his visit last Thursday, President Ali told residents his government would collaborate with them on an agricultural innovation project. While it is encouraging to see promises of progress, this sudden outreach comes after years of neglect. The reality is that under the Ali administration, these communities have been deprived of the same benefits enjoyed by PPP strongholds, in spite of the country’s booming oil wealth.
The glaring inequality in infrastructure development, access to opportunities, and essential services has been left unaddressed for far too long.
Commentators have pointed to the Ali government’s use of Forbes Burnham government development plan without crediting the intellectual authors and era in their wholesale adoption. Meanwhile, Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo, at his weekly press conferences, berates Burnham, misrepresents legacy and spreads falsehoods, all while conveniently ignoring the controversies, corruption, and incompetence that have marked his own tenure. He remains silent on the dark aspects of his legacy, including the narco economy and state-associated death squads.
Critics are asking a simple but important question: why is President Ali and his government suddenly so interested in these communities after years of deliberate neglect? For the last five years, the PPP government has denied these areas equal access to the benefits of Guyana’s oil wealth, while funneling resources into PPP-aligned communities and regions. The sudden outreach is seen as a blatant attempt to win votes, and many residents remain skeptical of these late-stage promises.
During his visit, Ali told residents that his government would work with a group from Melanie Damishana to develop several acres of land for an agricultural innovation programme. He claimed, “We want to develop your communities, taking your priorities into consideration.” This claim rings hollow when one considers that these so-called priorities have been ignored by the government for years. Now, as the elections loom, the President is conveniently acknowledging these priorities, all while promising resources that have long been withheld.
Further, the President outlined vague plans to enhance security, sanitation, and essential services for 2025, as if these issues have not been ongoing problems for the last few years. His promises to invest in Neighborhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) and local communities across the country are suspect without the actual investment and action to back them up. Many remain unconvinced, knowing full well that the government has a track record of making empty promises during election periods.
Critics pointed out also said Ali’s promises to improve the drainage in Melanie Damishana, expand the nursery school, and provide a welding plant for training purposes all sound like political ploys designed to win favour rather than substantive plans for development. The First Lady’s Office is also slated to rehabilitate the playground, which, while a positive gesture, hardly addresses the broader issues the community has faced for years.
One critic told this publication, “Guyanese deserve better than this, they deserve a government that works for them year-round, not one that suddenly remembers their needs when the election season approaches.”