Dear Editor,
We can all agree that Guyana is going through major changes, a dream for some and a nightmare for others. Regardless of which side of the fence you are on, it is certain that things will never be the same again. And in this critical time we have to decide how we will take our country forward.
The main political parties will play the most critical role in this new journey; they will determine the faith of the average Guyanese and their choices in this important period will decide whether we suffer or prosper.
I have come to understand fully that politics in Guyana does not attract saints; instead it is a dirty game played by Machiavellian players determined to win at all costs, and the only losers are the poor and the average Joe. So it is in our interest to participate and take action when necessary; we have to embrace the positives and fearlessly stand up to protect our rights and our place in our country.
I am prepared to accept that the elections are a product of our own doing and the environment we create for ourselves by not doing enough to be active citizens taking part in public policies. We leave it to our government officials to call the shots, which allowed the system to be subjected to chiefs and kings. Sadly this is a learned behaviour of our public servants and we should not expect to see anything too different now, unless we continue to be vigilant in all public policy decisions and make sure our voices are heard.
As it relates to my political party (the PPP/C), we have to quickly understand that the crossroads has been handed to us and when these situations come around, the only sure way to move forward is to assess our weaknesses and turn them into strengths, and in doing so, changes will be inevitable.
Some things the PPP/C has to consider:
- Our image must be rebuilt from scratch; in this case, perception is reality and we played a role in creating that perception by not fully understanding that we were the incumbent and the odds were against us from day one. APNU did not claim victory because they are the greatest thing that ever happened to Guyana; instead they won because people simply like to see change after a given period of time. And we failed to reinvent ourselves prior to the elections.
- The obvious is that a ‘vice’ has grown over the 23 years the PPP/C was in power, either by perception or deliberate actions that made nearly half our country feel oppressed or deprived of opportunities for a ‘good life.’ Whether real or perceived, the burden was upon us to look and listen to this dynamic and take action to address that ‘vice’ that grew into what we see now.
- We developed tunnel vision and became too defensive instead of understanding that criticism is and supposed to be our best friend in good governance. As a matter of fact the opposition would have provided better insights through their objections, if we were able to effectively use those objections and turn them into positives. Instead we surround ourselves with too many yes men, who simply say yes to anything suggested. This removed independent critical thinkers from the government process.
- The PPP/C now has the burden to prove to Guyana in the next five years that we are the party of Dr Cheddi Jagan, who was the first to incorporate a government that was reflective of all races, and whose policies were designed to develop the whole country.
Of course this is my personal opinion, and this is not an attack on my party but a chance for our supporters to see another perspective on this situation and for them to be a part of the rebuilding of our party. We have to learn how to accept ideas and criticism from everyone and anyone in order to formulate a strategy to make us stronger for the future.
PPP/C strong!
Yours faithfully,
Malcolm Watkins