Dear Editor,
Is Guyana’s political integrity as a state cause for concern? No less than the celebrated columnist Mr. Ian McDonald echoed not unsimilar concerns in the SN of 3-3-13 titled “political rhetoric”.
He observes that “right now the temperature of partisan dispute, and tempers on all sides, are rising sharply. Much more heat and smoke is being generated than clarifying light. The calm consideration of issues is on nobody’s priority list.” What is so amiss that causes raised eyebrows is no other than an affirmation of the right of rebuttal, survival and defence by the historical targets.
Termination of the right to differ in a democratic country would be against the fundamental principles of any democracy. Consequently when there is active affirmation of those democratic rights it cannot somehow become automatically wrong and be subjected to censure and alarmist rejection. Of course the methodology of dissent has to be within the ambit of the law in observance of decency, courtesy and the right to life and property.
In his letter to the KN of 2-5-13 titled “the struggle for dominance will destroy this nation” for all its races, Mr. M Maxwell first broached the subject and gave some reassurance but they were somewhat prudish.
In as much as Mr. McDonald was more observant he could have been more proactively resolution oriented.
Whiles Mr. M Maxwell is careful to cultivate an image of no bias it is his ambivalences, unfamiliarities or gaps in the whole picture which contributes to him being viewed with lesser affinity.
To his credit Mr. Maxwell acknowledges the need for racial balance of the public sector.
He is the first one to do so publicly. Moreover he boldly advocates that “beyond the ethnic composition of the public sector, the bottom-line is that Guyana actually needs a smaller public sector. The public sector is highly inefficient and must be made efficient, which will naturally shrink it by about a third to a half of its current size. That shrinkage would reduce ethnic imbalance.”
Seeking conclusive racial balance in Guyana’s armed forces and civil service should find urgent final resolution. The fundamental rights of black Guyanese to control and determine their political and economic destiny also ought to be recognised or find us in continuous bickering. More importantly our democracy and press freedom must continue to be the enshrined and a means to address these concerns with checks and balances.
With political power at a conflux in Guyana the PPP/C government or the AFC must now find a way and take the initiative as it mostly affects their support base. Certainly, simple honesty is not too much to demand of those elected as our leaders
Prime Minister Forbes Burnham fired the UK Sandhurst trained Major Abdul Sattur who headed the racially balanced Special Service Unit (SSU) formed by Dr Cheddi Jagan’s 1960s government. Let’s debate Federalism. It would permit the four provinces (Berbice, Demerara, Rupununi and Essequibo) with their own budgets to hire, train and fire their own police forces. Let them fix their own problems and minimise discrimination on their doorsteps.
Yours faithfully,
Sultan Mohamed
