Conversation Tree

SIR SHRIDATH RAMPHAL

On 20 February 2013, my son Kamal, was on the platform just outside the front door of the offices of Cameron & Shepherd in Avenue of the Republic on the western side of the Victoria Law Courts. This is how he described the occasion. “I was standing on my office platform just before lunch when I turned to my left and saw no less a personage than Sir Shridath Ramphal standing next to me in a pink polo shirt. He had come up quietly behind me after paying one of his regular courtesy visits to my father and, like me, was awaiting a ride. He was without bodyguards, or entourage, or umbrella-carrier or anyone else accompanying him for that matter. I introduced myself, thanked him for his service to Guyana, the Caribbean, South Africa and the Commonwealth, and then asked if he would facilitate a photograph. He happily obliged.”

GUYANA – SHADES OF AUTOCRACY?

In an article published in SN on August 27 – “Whither Guyana: Autocracy or democracy?” Dr. Bertrand Ramcharan, a former senior UN official and regular contributor to SN, concludes that in Guyana there are “shades” of autocracy. The events that give rise to the “shades” are: “official inquisitions into the tax status of NGOs; calls for new laws to ‘regulate’ NGOs;” “public campaigns of vilification against particular NGOs and their leaders;” and “‘highest level’ admonitions of judges carrying out their duties in good faith.” Dr. Ramcharan argues that while Guyana remains within the sphere of Democracy Inc., until it devises a “trusted” system of governance, “it will remain precariously poised between democracy and autocracy.” He argues that “it would help us to navigate our way inside Democracy Inc. if we could negotiate a new system of governance that would give every Guyanese a sense of belonging, or ownership, of their system of Governance.” Presumably, this new system of governance which is being called for is “inclusive governance” or “power-sharing.” which “those now in government have, so far, side-stepped.”

POLITICS AND THE NATIONAL TOSHAOS’ CONFERENCE

The annual National Toshaos Conference took place during last week and was addressed by President Ali. In his address the President emphasised the contribution that his government has made to the development of Amerindian communities. He pointed to increased budget allocations, extensive distribution of land titles, direct allocation of increased earnings from carbon credit and other benefits advanced by his and previous PPP/C administrations. He contrasted his administration’s “significant improvement” with the “stagnation” under the APNU+AFC government between 2015 and 2020. The SN characterised his presentation as a “thunderous political speech.” In a subsequent editorial SN described the President’s speech as one “more suited to a political campaign rally.”

VENEZUELA UNDER INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE

With very few exceptions, the entire Latin America, Caribbean and North America have now rejected the results of Venezuela’s elections held on 28 July. This was crystalized during last week when the Organisation of American States (OAS) adopted a resolution calling on the Venezuelan government to “expeditiously publish the presidential election records, including the voting results at the level of each polling station” and “respect the fundamental principle of popular sovereignty through an impartial verification of the results that ensures the transparency, credibility and legitimacy of the electoral process.” The election records are contained in the electronic reports generated by the voting machines that are in use in Venezuela. The “impartial verification” of those electronic records are also sought by the resolution. President Lula of Brazil and Petro of Columbia have already gone further and called for new elections in Venezuela and these calls have been supported by the United States. President Maduro has rejected the demand.

A REVIEW OF SHARED GOVERNANCE AND WHAT IT COULD LOOK LIKE

The phrases ‘shared’ governance’ and ‘winner-take-all’ were introduced into Guyana’s political lexicon in the mid 1970s by the ever-resourceful Cheddi Jagan. At that time the PNC had given itself a two-third majority of votes and seats in the National Assembly at the 1973 general elections. It placed the PPP on the backfoot by the nationalization of the ‘commanding heights’ of the economy, long advocated by the PPP. The PNC developed political relations with China, Cuba and the non-aligned movement thereby exerting political pressure against the PPP, which had been demanding these policies. With continuing Cold War pressures assuring US support for the PNC, and its major policies adopted by the PNC, the PPP was in despair of ever overcoming the obstacles to political office.