Dear Editor,
Inclusionary democracy is grounded in the constitution, laws and internationally acceptable time-honoured principles. Bharrat Jagdeo, who was former president with a dubious track record, having wrenched control from immediate past president Donald Ramotar, to return to parliament, has become Leader of the Opposition. The Leader of the Opposition is a constitutional office and the holder has to be treated with in an official manner. But while it is so, one cannot lose sight of Mr Jagdeo’s track record as a leader in this society.
Under his government he signed agreements with Desmond Hoyte as Leader of the Opposition, Robert Corbin as Leader of the Opposition, the Guyana Public Service Union and Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC). He refused to honour one iota of the things he had agreed upon. It is a sad day for Guyana that such a man can continue to hold public office.
If the records of Forbes Burnham, Desmond Hoyte, Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan who are dead, are scrutinised today and many are critical of their stewardship, he who is alive must be asked to account for his stewardship. At no time the society must be led into the false illusion that because Mr Jagdeo is Leader of the Opposition we must turn a Nelson’s eye to his past.
The recent meeting between him and President David Granger that has been dubbed as a process of inclusionary democracy cannot be shrouded in secrecy. The GTUC can speak from experience, having had meetings and agreements with him. Let it be known that on 8th March 2000 the parties agreed in the presence of then President Jagdeo that the government will make available a plot of land on the Linden-Soesdyke highway for an all-inclusive housing settlement, on the condition that the GTUC presents a concept note on the issue. This was done and when same was presented to the government, Mr Jagdeo said that that was not the agreement.
Dr Roger Luncheon was so embarrassed that he turned to Mr Jagdeo and said ‘Chief, what the TUC is saying that was the agreement we had.’ Mr Jagdeo then said, if that was the agreement, make the application to Lands and Survey and instruction will be given for it to be processed. During the Jagdeo and Ramotar governments the application was never processed. On the change of government, the file was presented to the GTUC and we were advised that instruction came from the Office of the President that the application must not be processed.
Today Mr Jagdeo is on record saying he will champion the fight against corruption, and is demanding transparency and accountability, when from the outset he had denied people their fundamental rights.
President Granger, while well intentioned cannot be allowed to be lulled into any level of complacency, but must be encouraged to hold the course in making sure that during the period when Mr Jagdeo led this country, a public inquiry is conducted to find out who was behind the extrajudicial killings of young men as well as corruption. The people have voted for a change which is premised on good governance and accountability.
Yours faithfully,
Lincoln Lewis
