-Suriname’s Civil Society
While I have long decided to relinquish my right to vote for persons to govern me and this land, I usually pay reasonable attention to the statements and activities of the Parliamentary opposition. They, after all constitute what would be this country’s alternative Government.
Reserving now what I really think about the opposition generally, as well as my studied opinion of other interest/pressure groups, I readily concede that today’s main offering was influenced by APNU’s David Granger’s statement on flooding which was delivered last week-end. There have been numerous letters to S.N. and Stabroek News editorials on this national challenge to our natural resources and existence. Nature largely determines and gives us rains. We Guyanese – governments, professionals, farmers and citizens – determine the frequency and extent of floods and flooding
Frankly Speaking, I suspect that our powers-that-be find solace in blaming Climate Change consequences for our seemingly unmanageable flooding and to pointing to the massive floods in the developed world. But their dubious excuses are of no help to Petamba. Poor Petamba, like hundreds of his kind, is now justifiably considering government’s competence, community management, delays, corruption-talk, even hopelessness, as he surveys his latest calamity. (Not unlike Granger’s APNU!)
Petamba, Politics, Promises, Decision
Petamba has many other names but in his Black Bush Polder farming community on the Corentyne he is known as Petamba – `the Greens Man’.
Petamba had once savoured the political fact that “All me generations – past an present – vote Cheddi and de cup! PPP forevva!” Petamba’s “generations” had no regrets and no reasons to regret their life-long political preference for Cheddi Jagan’s People’s Progressive Party (PPP). In fact between 1957 to 1963 Petamba’s parents were “allocated” much agricultural land in the Polder once destined to be the Bread Basket of the entire Caribbean. Even under the post–1964 Burnham governments the “Petambas” prospered though their PPP was cheated out of power and government. (Petamba’s brother and sister did migrate to Queens, New York, NY, however.)
Petamba began his fifties when Cheddi regained office in 1992. Now in his vigorous seventies, Petamba is one disillusioned PPP–friendly farmer. No longer friendly at all! Why? Well his section of Black Bush Polder has been flooded repeatedly – almost like clock-work- in recent years. Drainage-and-irrigation has been woefully neglected in his neck of the woods.
The Regional Authorities recently actually told Petamba’s sons why they won’t clear the silted up drainage trenches during the dry season. His letters straight to the Ministry of Agriculture, to the National Drainage and Irrigation Authority (NDIA), to the Office of the President merely received acknowledgements – but no action. Like farmers across the nation, from his Black Bush to Mahaica-Mahaicony to Airy Hall and Pomeroon, Petamba has suffered thousands of dollars in losses (of his cash crops) with frequency. No flood relief has mitigated continuous losses and his own remedial expenses. Promises now drive him wild.
What is to be done? Competence!
Realisation has hit the PPP’s Petamba hard. After generations and years he has come to realize that this version, this incarnation of the PPP is not the one his forebears and family embraced like a religion. He told the Regional Chairman forcefully at one meeting: “Me a PPP to mih bone! But guess wha? Me not voting again! Third time dis year mih whole farm duck!”
Petamba cannot bring himself to vote for any other Party. He even chased away the AFC campaigners during the last election period. But he urged his children – all of voting age – to examine what the APNU Leader is saying about agriculture and flooding. He has told them to search their own souls, then find some other group with competence – the abilities necessary to plan, manage, innovate, succeed and sustain.
Petamba’s offspring would, no doubt, justifiably wonder about this government’s capabilities and personnel. The list of dubious projects is like a national sore: The East Demerara Water Conservancy Relief Channel project – the vaunted “Hope Canal” still languishing to be completed; sea defences crumble, (why no pre-emptive works?); the free lap top giveaways with ulterior advantages for a few; the Lethem-Georgetown E-governance cable, woefully delayed whilst senior folks receive their “competitive” salaries; the miseries surrounding the construction of a four-lane E.Bank, Dem, Highway; the Amaila Falls aborted road, the Skeldon Sugar Factory elephant; millions wasting at High and Princes streets in Georgetown.
Competence? Poor Petamba. Poor Guyana. Poor Me. Poor You. Will change bring us better?
A Matured Suriname
I’m certainly no big fan of Suriname’s current leader – the Soldier Politician Desi Bouterse. But what occurred in his Parliament this past December has impressed me immensely.
Now a convert to the potential status of Civil Society Organisations and their Constitutional roles, I was thrilled to read of the Surinamese Parliament’s acceptance of draft legislation from a Civil Society NGO in Paramaribo.
The Climate Change Expert Group (CCEG) is an NGO of Surinamese professionals with varied but expert backgrounds – including a diplomat and a permanent secretary!
Knowing that Suriname badly needs an Environmental/Climate Change Law and sensing that Suriname is way behind Guyana and the rest of the Caribbean Community in that regard, the citizens presented draft legislation to the country’s Parliament Chair, a Ms Jennifer Simons. She and her colleagues were genuinely pleased to accept the Civil Society Draft for study and possible amendments – pledging that that bit of legislation will be “fast-forwarded” in the House.
A Leader of the Group, University Professor Naipal – who incidentally, believes in mangroves as a natural sea defence – observed: “We all had a personal conviction and determination born from a social awareness and a heart for our country.”
Tell me, dear friends: can our PPP/C Administration be that open-minded and big-hearted?
Discuss….
Ponder…
*1) Let’s activate internal tourism! Plaisance needs to see and know Parabara, Lovely Lass folks should week-end in Lethem and Mibicuri farmers should visit Mabaruma. Right?
*2) So who’ll erect street lights at Cane View Avenue, South Ruimveldt? Where murdered bodies are dumped?
*3) Who pays for Minister Rohee’s security at his home?
*4) The Guyana Cookup show on CNS TV6 resumes tomorrow.
Til next week!
(Comments? allanafenty@yahoo.com)
