Dear Editor,
There seems to be a missing link that the government is not paying attention to when they decided to back the PM as the driver of a national unity government. For unity to prevail in any circumstances, goodwill must be at the centre of it all. There is no real unity if the wrong persons are put in place to facilitate the process.
There is no goodwill between Dr. Jagdeo and Prime Minister Nagamootoo therefore the idea was a failure from the beginning. The long history of bitter politics between the two politicians runs too deep. It was on the grounds of disagreements that made the PM leave the PPP/C in the first place, so how can he be the one leading the unity train?
If the government is serious about this, then they would have made a much clearer and wiser decision to ensure that the person who will be leading the effort is acceptable to the opposition as well. Dr. Jagdeo made it very clear prior to the government’s official announcement that he does not recognize the PM as having the authority to make such an initiative. It clearly shows that the opposition will not accept the PM as a partner in unity talks.
I believe that the President should be the one leading this process since it is so critical to the country’s future. Dr. Jagdeo has already stated that his opposition will work with this government in support of any initiative that is right for Guyana and the President should have taken that opportunity to start the process of fostering a real path towards a unified approach to governance.
It is clear to the country and everyone else that the portfolio the PM currently holds does not lend itself to vital roles of this nature and as such Dr. Jagdeo has all right to reject the PM’s initiative.
The platform on which this Government ran during elections, was based on doing things differently in the interest of the people. The impression was that they would not make the same mistakes of the past Government. Therefore it is expected that a new approach and fresh ideas would have come to bear fruits now. We are still waiting to see these things happen and backing the PM to lead unity talks is not a fresh idea.
Yours faithfully,
Malcolm Watkins
