A truth and reconciliation commission to look into the PNC period in office from 1966 to 1992 would not help the current state of affairs but such a commission could examine the period in the 1950s and early 1960s, President Bharrat Jagdeo has said.
He also asserted that before the government and the opposition could enter into an arrangement for enhanced cooperation or power sharing they must trust each other. He added that he was reluctant to put in place artificial mechanisms to foster relations between the government and opposition because they would collapse if they are not buttressed on a foundation of trust and goodwill.
Asked at a press conference he hosted at the Office of the President on Tuesday whether he feels that a truth commission could help in putting to rest allegations of corruption and other forms of atrocities allegedly committed during the PNC’s 28 years in office and improving relations among supporters of both political parties, Jagdeo said that a lot of people suggested that a truth and reconciliation commission should be established for this purpose.
However, he said, “Frankly speaking, I don’t know if it would help.” Referring to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the British Colonial Office, he said that the period he would like a truth and reconciliation commission to examine was the 1950s and early 1960s when he contended they played a role in dividing the people and causing race riots.
Stating that sometimes Guyanese blamed themselves too much for what transpired during that period, he said he would like Guyanese to find out about what took place then. He noted that sourced documents about that period are available on the CIA website and the Foreign Office in the United Kingdom.
“Sometimes we blame ourselves more than we blame these external forces,” he said, adding that he does not know that it makes sense to have a truth and reconciliation commission for the 28 years that the PNC was in office.
A number of prominent citizens, including lawyers, have suggested from time to time that the government establish a truth and reconciliation commission to deal with allegations of corruption, maladministration and mismanagement among other ills allegedly committed by the PNC during its 28 years in office.
Some political observers have felt that the government was not keen on setting up such a commission because the findings might implicate activists of the PPP/C-led administration in some wrongdoings as well.
However, Jagdeo told the media that for the country to move forward the government and the opposition must work together for the good of the country and the people.
“Before we could enter into any formal arrangements for the governance of this country, we need to be able to trust each other.” He expressed hope that the government and the opposition could build on the goodwill that currently exists.
If the opposition was serious about moving forward with dialogue as the government was, he said that they could continue building an arrangement that everyone in the country could be comfortable with.
Whether it is called power sharing or enhanced cooperation, he said that it was essential for reuniting the people and for everyone working together.
While he was convinced that enhanced cooperation or power sharing was the only way forward for Guyana, he said he was reluctant to put artificial mechanisms in place because they would collapse and they would be worse off than they are at present if they were not buttressed on a good foundation of trust and goodwill.
The government, Jagdeo said, wants to move forward with the opposition in a meaningful way and was currently working on a framework on how this could be achieved.
Jagdeo said he felt that before the PNCR held its biennial congress in July 2007, the government and that party were making good progress but due to accusations that he was too close to the government in the period leading up to the congress, Leader of the Opposition Robert Corbin “began playing it safe.”
He said that Corbin might disagree with him on his assessment but he nevertheless feels that it was not a fight that the Guyanese people want among the two major parties but that they should sit together and work out things that would look after their interests. He said it takes more courage to do that than make the occasional noise out there. (Miranda La Rose)
