Dear Editor,
The Jagdeo Administra-tion’s facilitated convergence of parliamentary representatives and civil society’s stakeholders, which resulted in last Wednesday’s setting up of a parliamentary standing committee on national security with ministerial representation, should be treated as the final effort by non-government participants to resolve longstanding worrisome issues. The public is growing wary of these conveniently staged government-stakeholders’ confabs.
Though the standing committee’s formation appears very critical to assuring social stability and reviving public confidence, it is regrettable that it had to evolve from two episodes of violent bloodbaths in Lusignan and Bartica. And it also lends credence to the belief that while the PPP regime says criminal violence against innocents has been used as a means for the PNC to share political power, this seems to be the only manner to get the PPP regime to respond with stakeholders’ meetings in the name of inclusive governance. Why?
With the stakeholders themselves having been down this road before of meeting with the President on deadly criminal attacks, it would be understandable if they went into the meetings with low expectations but yearning for miracles. But to avoid making a continued mockery of this engagement process, the President and his government must cease playing politics with the country for partisan gain, and genuinely commit to the activation of the Par-liamentary Reform Commit-tee and seriously explore a workable mechanism for the continuation of the National Stakeholders Forum. Civil society stakeholders, on the other hand, must prevent this process from becoming another photo-op and gab-fest or just another blatant attempt by the President to prop up his wilting legacy.
Meanwhile, history has already shown that the PPP is not keen on sharing anything unless it is in absolute control and can dictate who gets what and when. So it is possible the President and the ruling party could look to hijack the stakeholders’ forum through fear, manipulation or favours; but, again, it is up to the stakeholders to take a principled stand in the interest of good and responsible governance.
Sure, I have been a virulent critic of the President’s handling of both the economy and the crime situation, and judging from his public remarks and interactions with his political nemesis, it is difficult to conclude he is able or willing to resolve the seemingly intractable decades old PPP-PNC conflict that derives its energy from pandering to the ethnic fears and insecurities of Indians and blacks in Guyana. He may be gambling for all I know.
I am not looking for a perfect President or government, but the least they can do at this crisis moment is sustain the good-faith effort they appear to be making to re-start the stakeholders’ negotiating process that had been hibernating for the past four years. But we can’t rely on them exclusively.
With the spotlight and momentum on the side of the stakeholders, they are the ones who need to seize the moment by exploring ways of becoming a unified social organism with a viable manifesto or agenda that captures or embodies the concerns of society in a non-political manner, and presenting periodic progress updates to the people. Operating as a loosely knitted group can make for easy pickings by the President and the ruling party to eventually divide and then destroy the group.
From the perspective of the people, the latest government-stakeholders meetings may be just another step in a long grueling climb to bring some measure of relief, but what is the alternative at this time when even the government is either unable or unwilling after fifteen years to effectively deal with mounting economic and internal security concerns?
From the political opposition’s perspective, while the PNC continues to search for its leg to get up again, the role of political opposition devolves to the AFC to continue its interactions with civil society’s stakeholders to help come up with ideas and strategies for making genuine inclusive governance work for everyone.
Yours faithfully,
Emile Mervin
