Dear Editor,
Within recent times there have been encouraging signs, albeit fleeting, that the government is changing their ways in dealing with the governing of our country.
The most recent has been their dialogue with the opposition on the 2013 budget. This follows on their recent report on the dealings of NICIL, which for so long was a jealously guarded secret. There have also been comments by government ministers critical of the performances of some of their portfolios as evidenced by the Minister of Agriculture’s statement that the GuySuCo modernisation project in Skeldon has performed way below expectations. Again, such utterances from govenrment officials are a novelty. Then there is the PAC where even government members gave a thorough grilling to government officials.
These are baby steps towards how a true democracy works, but at least it seems as though the process has started.
Kudos must be given to the opposition for their relentless approach towards ensuring more transparency and inclusiveness from our government. It seems that their effort is now bearing fruit.
For a long time in 2012 it was felt that the opposition was not doing anything, but we were probably too impatient to see change and anticipated that it would have been a simple transition. We did not take into account that our government was in absolute power for 20 years and that it would have taken a hurculean effort to change their ways.
Finally it seems as though the wind of change is starting to blow in with its faint stirrings. One only hopes that this is not a false dawn in our democratic maturity.
Yours faithfully,
(Name and address provided)
