Dear Editor,
The undertaking is hardly about just being a president. It is most fundamentally about the presidency of an independent country (however small); its role and responsibilities, as expected to be discharged amongst the comity of nations.
When next the capacity of the current governance team is assessed, the latter may suffer by comparison with at least Caricom colleagues, on almost all counts. The minimal sophistication, both in conduct and expression, the limited prism through which quality of life is discerned; the almost instinctive perpetration of abuse of human rights; the loss of aesthetics exemplified in the transition from garden to garbage; the tolerance shown of violence, crime and related corruption are but a few indicators of a society needing urgently to be rescued.
So that what comes next has to be a rehabilitative process. It must be a process of healing; of restoring the several wounds inflicted on this society over a continuum of administrations. It must be a time when the varying perspectives of who were the agents of debilitation, depression and even devastation will have to be reconciled; when blame will have to be shared, when responsibility must be squarely borne.
It is time to use the past as relevant only as lessons to be unlearnt, for experiences to guide the avoidance of repeating previous mistakes.
It is a special time for leadership that unifies; that re-integrates cultures; forges real partnerships; and rebuilds enduring trust.
It is time for the creation of a vision of a society that is characterised by decency; for the organisation of a governance that reflects transparency, accountability, and meritocracy, in the most profound way; and which upholds the dignity of the law.
It is time for recognising that the real purpose is to serve the people who will in turn serve; a time for listening, responding and committing a shared ownership of decisions taken.
It is time for eschewing ‘virtual’ reality; to free the access to, and exchange of, information; as well as to accept criticism and rise above it.
It is time to understand the global dimensions in which we function, to recognise the linkages that must be formed regionally and elsewhere; to grasp the opportunities offered by changing technologies; to better inform the discourse across borders through the use of ‘neighbouring’ languages; to re-cultivate the diplomatic skills so necessary to win friends and preserve alliances.
It is time to abate the tendency to crime, and restore domestic security; to teach our children the values of respect and teamsmanship through active participation in sports; to refine young minds by intensive exposure to art, drama, literature, and history – as distinct from the mundanity of electronic information inarticulately regurgitated as knowledge
.
It is time to rise above the mediocrity of performance so long applauded; to eschew the supineness which deforms character; to re-activate energies that would transform the inertness of corporate society into the engine that truly drives progress.
It is time to re-organise the components of the economy that must match the challenge of competition, free of the burden of punitive taxes; to identify potential and groom the skills for managing, directing, coaching, and empowering the supervised workers, all of whom must contribute to increasing wealth.
It is the final time to turn Guyana, not just around, but outward and upward in this century.
It is now time to pause, and reflect on whether each candidature is supported by a track record that permits the affirmation of a genuine claim to the nation’s presidency.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
