At its post election press conference on Friday, September 2, the Private Sector Commission (PSC) Chairman Ramesh Dookhoo stated that he was not in favour of power-sharing/shared governance in Guyana. Given that such a form of government is presumably a product of negotiation, rather than an imposition, the PSC’s categorically stated position is rather strange in the current plural society of Guyana in which any uplifting benefits from cooperation are overwhelmed by the downside of fierce political competition, divisiveness and partisanship. The result is tension, instability, lack of cohesion and a failure to realize the country’s full potential, with adverse effects on the fortunes of the very private sector and development in general.
The PSC remark is all the more unfortunate because it reflects the position of only one of the three parties that will be in the new Parliament and that party (PPP/C) now represents a minority of voters. The other two parties have called for a Government of National Unity, which represents the highest form of shared governance.
Note also that certain elements of the private sector are said to have been behind the constitutionally illegal campaign for a Jagdeo third term and are said to benefit from a high level of cronyism in the form of tax waivers, land and other concessions and single source contracts, constituting significant government revenue foregone and contributing to the widespread perverting of the integrity of the state. Perhaps these elements funded most of the estimated $250 million as reported on Capitol News (but in reality it’s probably more than $2 billion) that the PPP/C is reported to have spent in its recent election campaign. In addition, the private sector is not entirely clean, since drugs have been found in almost every commodity exported from Guyana and a number of so-called businessmen have been fingered (including Roger Khan) without any denunciation heard from that organization.
Very perplexing is the sudden waking up of the PSC, a few days before voting on November 28, to vociferously call for a peaceful election and for the media to be responsible in their coverage, although the organization remained silent over the last few months while the PPP/C denied the opposition access to the state-owned media (TV, radio and the Chronicle newspaper) and waged a war of words using such terms as “vultures and carrion crows.”
A fair electoral process would certainly have reduced the anger and tension that the private sector feared may lead to violence on polling day or immediately after.
The PSC has now confirmed its alliance with the PPP/C. It is therefore very understandable why it cannot be more objective and evenhanded in its judgment.
Finally, shared governance is an imperative in the Guyana type situation with its all powerful emperor style presidency. (Ultimately, the constitution has to be radically changed.)
While the combined opposition have managed to wrest control of the legislature from those practising one-party rule and winner-take-all politics, it will find great difficulty in containing the Ramotar government. The struggle for shared governance (for the benefit of all Guyanese) continues.
Yours faithfully,
Desmond Trotman
