Dear Editor,
I want to kill two proverbial birds with one stone. The first has to do with the ongoing speakership enmeshment between APNU and the AFC, which I hope gets resolved by the time this letter gets published. Everyone seems to have an opinion, but at some point we all need to take a step back and take a deep breath as the parties involved get ready to resolve the issue.
I have backed the AFC from its inception and believe it can play a meaningful role in helping rebuild our degraded race-based political culture. However, the voting results of November 28 placed the AFC in a unique position either as a deal-maker or deal-breaker, depending on which side of the APNU and PPP divide it finds itself. It can do nothing by itself in Parliament.
Right now, APNU and AFC form the parliamentary majority versus the PPP, and since their primary role is to help keep the elected government in check, then they have to work together. Their hard-fought mutual acceptance of the speakership rotation concept is a sign of maturity, not a sign of weakness, because without each other they will have to turn to the PPP for support on issues, and the PPP has already demonstrated by its choice of pro-PPP cabinet ministers that it is all about the PPP. And with the PPP’s call for Mr Ralph Ramkarran to be returned as House Speaker would be a return to the politics of the last 19 years.
If APNU and the AFC can’t get along hereafter, then we are in worse shape as a country than I originally imagined. But for the sake of Guyana and Guyanese at home, I am going to be an optimist and believe they can and will.
The second bird relates to the press statement from Office of the President in response to Kaieteur News’ New Year’s Day news report on Housing Minister Irfaan Ali’s so-called mansion and pool house. I am saddened, yet not surprised that President Donald Ramotar, who vowed on the campaign trail to root out corruption in government, would allow such a statement describing KN’s article as “yellow journalism“ to be issued without offering information about how Mr Ali financed his property, from procurement to renovation to extensions.
Mr Ramotar, the leader of the PPP, never uttered a single word or had the PPP issue a single statement rebutting the myriad news stories and accompanying photographs in Kaieteur News raising questions about the use of state finances and resources during the Bharrat Jagdeo era.
Some government officials, as well as certain individuals close to the PPP went from rags to riches lifestyles. The ex-President built a mansion for around $20M, but sold it for a whopping $120M. Now he is completing his second mansion. And Mr Ramotar sat with his tongue glued to the roof of his mouth about all of this.
Some people have gone out of their way to portray Mr Ramotar as the opposite of his predecessor, but I am now left to hope APNU and AFC can and will overcome their differences on the speakership issue so they can be quickly sworn in and begin their work. We badly need an independent Integrity Commission. We need to investigate the many questionable deals and agreements struck by the Jagdeo regime, including sale of state properties and the disposal of natural resources. Because it is clear we can’t leave this up to President Ramotar.
As far as he may be concerned, revisiting questionable state deals and challenging government officials to explain how they came by their wealth may just amount to “character assassination.“ Editor, both Messrs Jagdeo and Ramotar were indoctrinated in communist dictatorships, so while their styles of leading government may differ, the substance of their thinking remains the same.
Yours faithfully,
Emile Mervin
