OPINION: Census results: what’s up with that mystery baby?

Last Updated on Tuesday, 2 December 2025, 22:54 by Writer

By GHK Lall

It’s time. Draw a line on the held up, long-delayed, more-than-overdue, census results. Not the USA’s, but Guyana’s. What’s up with them, Dr. Ali? What’s cooking with them, Dr. Singh? What’s happening with them, Mr. Jagdeo? Sorry for the demotion, seeming lack of respectful recognition. Be assured of my respect, DR. J, especially given recent pressures. Trust me, I know, as I have been around those circumstances. Not once, not twice, but more. Census results, my good brothers. What’s up with them? Now, I am forced to follow a limb, stand on it. Assurance is given to all that a new Guyanese environment will come about, one which makes the past looks like a child’s whimper.

Census results that are held in suspense for a year could be understood, with much effort given a pass. Two years is asking too much. Three years is eye-pass. Taking the people for granted, taunting them, then spitting on them. Whatever has to be fixed, smoothed over, must be more than usual, likely posing its own extraordinary demands to get into presentable shape. I look towards Duke Street and the Americans. How many passed through those portals? How many then crossed the departure gates, left Cheddi Jagan behind? The international airport, that is. Lots of plane seats booked, lots of house seats lost. I draw my line deeper, harder: a deficit that huge needs a lot of years to narrow. I don’t think that the opposition will appreciate the census results when tabled, light shun on them. Like I said trouble.

Like who cheated whom. Like who needed three years and more to figure out the tricks, and produce what is sure to create a crescendo of howls. New elections! Let the record speak for itself. When the PPP of Drs. Ali, Jagdeo, and Singh (Nandlall, also) have some situation that they wish to keep close to their chest, they zip their lips. They tie up civil servants. They close down the airwaves. Ever hear Excellency Ali lose himself in silence, in the reveries that pay a visit at such times, often haunt? Ever recall Dr. Jagdeo at one of his Thursday afternoon Ouija board ceremonies going on at length about census results? Says something, doesn’t it? It takes two to tango, but there is a third, the wallflower, Dr. Singh, now inserting his regal presence into the census fray. The man of numbers had nothing to say about census numbers for the longest while, but now he has graced Guyanese with his numerical wisdom. Soon, it will be. Not Xmas Day, but census numbers coming home for the holidays. Thanks, Dr. Singh. What a gift!

What was there to hide, wrap in the many layers afforded by three long years? The Olympics are every four years. So, Guyanese shouldn’t complain, for they will soon be getting their census results in just around three years. Three is better than four, a whole year shaved off. My concern is what else was shaved off, doctored, ducked, splintered, put back together in some half-cooked manner (like Humpy Dumpty). Second time I am using that word (cooked [and it isn’t accidental]), in relation to the buried census results now exhumed, and about to be served on a platter to trusting Guyanese. Tasty, it should be; stuff straight from the ground.

Guyanese aren’t too interested in revelations about economics (poverty line, geographic segmentation, social welfare, and so forth). Their eyes are peeled on demographics. Ah, there it is: demographics, not economics. There is oil by the reservoirs. But oil cannot compare to the passions generated by elections. Now, make the connection from demographics to elections. If census results have been cooked too much, burning aromas are given off. Then there is only so much that can be explained in the footnotes. The opposition, such as it is, should have something to say, a raucous reaction. Don’t leave out vociferous, irrepressible, civil society. Wouldn’t be only the Speaker of the House hurrying off on leave. Vice President could take another stay away from the public limelight. The heat is on. I see poor Ashni left to fetch that roll of barbed wire on his head. He who aspires high in the PPP must proveth himself.

I am so far out on the limb chosen that I can’t, don’t want, to turn back. Trust me, there’s controversy stirring with the upcoming census results. There, enough said. Ah friken de PPP send its peeple aftah me. Duty done. Others can pick up from where I left off.