ENDING THE CULTURE OF ETHNO-POLITICAL DOMINANCE


The APNU+AFC coalition has taken an important initiative towards transforming Guyana’s culture of ethno-political dominance. In a report in SN on September 6 Prime Minister Nagamootoo, at a meeting in Whim, Corentyne, said “we are prepared to open the doors to the PPP if they want to enter this government.” No further details were given but Minister Raphael Trotman subsequently announced that a team consisting of Prime Minister Nagamootoo, Vice President Greenidge, himself, Minister Ramjattan, Attorney General Basil Williams and Minister Harmon would conduct the negotiations. If the Prime Minister’s statement is a considered policy of serious intent, as it seems, it is expected to be followed by a more formal invitation by President Granger to Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo.

The decision by the APNU+AFC coalition to invite the PPP to share the government is a major and welcome departure from earlier positions. While it is true that President Granger had indicated support for a national unity government involving the PPP at the time of President Carter’s visit, most of his public pronouncements had projected the APNU+AFC alliance as the multi-ethnic government of national unity. The reality, of course, is that only an alliance of the two major political parties can be considered as the foundation for national unity.

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POLITICS AS USUAL


The meeting between President Granger and Opposition Leader Jagdeo yielded only a minor concession from the latter. He agreed that the PPP would only serve on a committee on the Guyana-Venezuela Border Controversy and not on the other proposed committees that would address national issues of importance. The reason, Mr. Jagdeo complained, is that the Government cannot expect PPP’s cooperation when it was victimizing public servants because of perceived political support for the PPP. President Granger has denied this allegation but at the same time expressed hope that the Opposition would eventually decide in favour of a higher level of co-operation. He described the meeting with Mr. Jagdeo as ‘friendly’ and said that the latter had proffered useful ideas relating to financial matters.

President Granger’s overtures to the opposition and what appears to be a genuine effort to create a regime of constructive collaboration, are not going to succeed. Until there are structural reforms in our political system which institutionalize negotiation and compromise between political parties, as well as a stake in governance or at least in the success of the government, invitations to collaborate and appeals to cooperate, are not going to have any effect.

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THE PRIME MINISTER IS ENTITLED TO SIT IN PARLIAMENT WHILE PERFORMING THE FUNCTIONS OF PRESIDENT


Mr. Anil Nandlall, former Attorney General and PPP/C Member of the Parliament, and now the guardian of our rights under the Constitution, pronounced ominously on the dire consequences that would befall the nation if the Prime Minister sets foot in the Parliament Chamber, after he is sworn in to perform the duties of the President. He warned: “If he goes back into the Chamber then the entire business of the Parliament will be tainted by an unconstitutionality and that means that the entire proceedings we are embarking upon will be unlawful, illegal, unconstitutional, null, void, and of no legal effect.”

The Prime Minister responded in support of his right to sit in Parliament. He argued: “I can only tell you that I am performing the functions of the President; but I am the Prime Minister, an elected Member of Parliament, and I am the Leader of Government Business in the House.” However, he did not return to Parliament.

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BUDGET BLUES


The population has learnt not to expect much that is edifying in the annual budget debates. This ritual by the political classes throws up with mundane regularity all that is wrong with our political culture. It gives them the opportunity to reinforce the principles that underlie that political culture so as to fuel it up for another year.  It also facilitates the deteriorating behaviour of parliamentarians in attempting to prevent each other from being heard. They must have tried the patience of Speaker Scotland, whose dignified management of the proceedings, and silence at a most insulting and patronizing reference as the ‘new kid on the block,’ were among the bright spots of the week.

The nature of the allegations made by the opposition in relation to procedures in the National Assembly are identical to the allegations of the PNC/PNCR/PNCR-1-G/APNU, for one reason or another, when it was in opposition. If we go back further, the management of the business of the National Assembly from 1992 to 2001 was similar from 1964 to 1992. The opposition after 1992 did nothing to change the practices which they had tolerated before, if not engineered, maybe because they felt that they did not have the bona fides to do so.

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PERCEPTIONS OF DISCRIMINATION


There are growing concerns within the Indian Guyanese community that the Government has embarked on large-scale discrimination against them. This is being fuelled by politically driven accusations by the PPP using the same emotive language used by the PNC/PNCR in the 1990s – ‘ethnic cleansing.’ I do not accept that there is such discrimination but the growing perception is a negative phenomenon so early in the life of the Government. It should not be dismissed because once such perceptions take hold, they are very difficult to overcome.

Guyana’s politics are organized for the expression of ethnic sentiments and are driven by ethnic considerations. The PPP governments of 1957 to 1964 were accused of racism and of being a ‘rice’ government and worse. During the PNC era of the 1970s and 1980s, the PNC governments were accused by the PPP of ‘racial and political discrimination.’ When the PNC lost the elections in 1992, one dominant theme emanating from its leaders, members and supporters was PPP’s discrimination. That theme quickly developed into accusations of ‘ethnic cleansing.’ It finally settled in to ‘marginalisation’ where it remained constant throughout PPP’s terms of office and became an accepted fact among African Guyanese. It attained great resonance when Dr. Luncheon said in evidence in Bharrat Jagdeo’s libel case against the Kaieteur News and Frederick Kissoon that no African Guyanese were qualified to be ambassadors.

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