Christmas past in Parliament
-And Pay The Darn Bonus!
Obviously it’s that time of year. The religious celebratory Christian Festival of Christmas is upon us with its all-pervasiveness.
The spirit, then the urge to participate, envelops many religious persuasions, all ethnicities. Guyanese find a reason to be some part of the “Season”. Hence the “Christmas” in my caption. The “past” I’ll come to, underneath and the “Parliament” has captured my attention, time and a few specific skills for most of this year.
Parliaments or Assemblies are those collective representative bodies that should represent the choice and will of the people. These national assemblies, Parliaments or Houses, Congress, Senates, or by whatever name they are known should boast elected – or selected/nominated representatives of the country’s population, whose job it is to represent and prosecute the interest and welfare of the electors.
How goes it in our own Parliament? Well in one paragraph – or two – I opine this: The President is one component of our Parliament. President Jagdeo’s rating is not too certain at this juncture, because we lack scientific polling and other methods to determine, with popular, verifiable accuracy, the status and standing of our leaders. Anecdotal and views and “viewpoints” seem to suggest that the January-born President is much more popular than his rival “leaders”, given their respective episodes of personal, party and public turmoil. But if Jagdeo is more “popular”, his bread-and-butter policies are not.
The other component of Parliament – the National Assembly of legislators, or Parliamentarians (MP’s), – is another matter which my respect and old fashioned up-bringing restrain (me from defining too much, in terms of what I think of them – frankly. After all Christmas, the practising Christians believe, and tell me, is a time of peace and goodwill towards all mankind – including our diverse Members of Parliament!
Suffice to record that I regret that we the elector/citizens do not experience, often enough, the accord and comity which should result from their robust debates. If it is not outright acrimony, too frequently the M.P.’s seen merely to want to score points for their respective Parties – and not for us, their bosses.
Now that I’ve “backgrounded” you about the Season and the Parliament, some imp – not laziness – urges me to turn back the
Christmas ’95 in Parliament
pages of time to December 1995, the fourth Christmas of the Cheddi Jagan Administration in Government. The proper name for that Parliament was “The National Assembly of the Sixth Parliament of Guyana”. And underneath is how I described Christmas in the December 1995 sitting.
“Peace on earth. Peace in Guyana. Goodwill towards men. That’s all the essence of this season that is the Christian festival of Christmas.
Last Tuesday afternoon, for three hours, the representatives of the people of Guyana, gathered for the last time for this year in the National Assembly. They managed to depict and display, the disagreements, the challenges and even the rare conciliations that the larger populace they claim to represent often themselves display.
There was relative peace in the Parliament. The heckling of speakers was relatively lame, bettered only by the occasional desk-thumping or desk-battering. And when it was time to share Christmas greetings, the representative leaders of the political parties seemed almost proud to declare, consensually, that Guyana’s parliament was the most civil in the Caribbean. What generosity of spirit! What seeming camaraderie!
But the charge led briefly but vigorously by Past President, Honourable Desmond Hoyte, revealed that though the peace was prevalent the goodwill that should emanate from the Parliament was not forthcoming. For among the serious business of the day was Mr Hoyte’s representation of the nation’s public servants’ need for improved salaries. It was difficult not to be persuaded by Mr Hoyte’s arguments. Young, brash and aggressive Bharrat Jagdeo – the Finance Minister who has the front page of the Chronicle all to himself was however on his usual form in terms of reminding Mr Hoyte of his own performance. Stirring as both men were, nothing was solved for the nation’s underprivileged public servants. Surely the motto for these workers who can never cheat the tax man, should be “We bear the burden”. (Elsewhere, I’ve done a piece on just how and where the money to pay public servants could be found).
The lighter side of Parliament came through forcefully last Tuesday though. Do you know that there are two PNC MP’s known as “Zorro” and “Marabunta”? Reepu’s voice is deserting him as his entire physical seems to be doing. Where else in the civilized world would “Bounty Killer’s” Dance Hall lyrics and music rudely intrude on the serious deliberations of a Parliament? Even as the Prime Minister and Labour Minister take “unparliamentary” stretches and yawns?
But it was Health Minister Madam Gail who nearly topped my own list in terms of parliamentary tantalise three days ago. Explaining that the new compartmentalized freezing chambers of the modern morgue are nearly complete at the Georgetown Public Hospital, she very nearly “invited” PNC members to try out the new mortuary! All in all it was a pleasant Christmas in Parliament.”
Let’s hope peace and productive deliberations, laced with goodwill will redound to our 2009 benefit, as the Ninth Parliament meets on the final two Mondays of this 2008.
Have a heart! Pay something!
Peace! Goodwill! Give a tiny piece of our Blackcake Pie Mr President. Come on Dr Ashni! Influence your boss. His birthday is just a few days away. Display goodwill and good sense.
Yes the Policemen deserve something. The poor teachers, nurses, and your own “employed poor” – the public servants. You gave Kashif and Shanghai, so they wouldn’t accuse you of loving cricket only. You use the Lottery takings how you please. So Please Pay A Year-End Bonus! How wonderful – And Justifiable – it would be for the Government’s needy to receive $20,000 each (twenty thousand minimum) on old years day. To face the first day of ’09 with some change in the pocket or pocket-book. Remember the struggling Government Pensioners too.
Don’t tell me of the Global Financial Crisis or to wait for next year’s Budget. I have confidence you can do it now Mr President, Minister Ashni, (Ask RUSAL, ask BOSAI, it can be found…)
Towards the 25th …
1) My heart goes out to Lionel Wordsworth and (less so) to Baleka Seulall. Who are they? Well they have to do with our Flooding – and our Weather – two young “Comrades”.
2) Now you’ll also have to remove your shoes before entering Press Conferences!
3) Even as GINA shows how much is being done for irrigation, the flood-waters rise.
4) Have a dry, blessed Christmas Day.
’Til next week!
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