Dear Editor,
We in Guyana are on the verge of celebrating our 50th Independence anniversary on May 26, 2016. The current political and economic environment holds great promise for us all. We need to set our sights on strengthening our economy for the benefit of all stakeholders and sidestep the mistakes made by our political leaders over the last sixty plus years. So much time has passed since April 27, 1953 and we as a country, with our abundant resources, have not kept pace with the economic development in other less endowed Caricom territories.
Our history in politics has primarily been one of division. We continue to vote on the premise of race, disregarding merit and what is best for a country with the motto of one people, one nation and one destiny. In the past, the nature of our politics dictated that half of the country were stymied while the other half prospered, regardless of who controlled the executive. For decades we have attempted to walk forward as a country with one leg amputated. Let us cease hopping, but commence walking and running as a whole; in this manner we will achieve so much more. We are at an opportune time to begin our long-awaited recovery. Let us take the gift of the present to bandage our wounds and heal.
Politics could be the most vicious and demanding of professions; each political party has to come up with promises to motivate their supporters and expand its base in its quest for power. However, after that authority is achieved, we must remember the vital original intention is not to simply have power and to demonize members or supporters of other political parties, but to utilize power in an inclusive manner and to provide opportunities for as many Guyanese as possible. Of course we must pinpoint the errors of the past that bled corruption into the heart of our country; and of course we must take corrective action to remedy these faults, not in a persecuting manner, but with the goal to harness and wield the talents of all our people for the greater good of Guyana, regardless of party affiliation. There comes a time when we have to consider what is best for the country, rather than the party. The time is now. Nearly fifty years have passed since we gained independence, now we must push forward towards completing new projects and completing projects we have already started.
With the APNU+AFC coalition holding the reins of power, it is time build on the good things that have taken us to where we are now under the leadership of the Jagans, Burnham, Hoyte, Jagdeo, Ramotar, and now President Granger. I am not recommending some utopian system; I am all for the cut and thrust of politics, which requires a strong and vibrant opposition. There are many persons and entities, including CN Sharma, Tony Vieira, Christopher Ram, Tacuma Ogunseye, Freddie Kissoon, David Hinds and Anand Goolsarran, Kaieteur News and Stabroek News that have done exceptional work in forging opinions, while providing us with an awareness of our shortcomings and reminding us of how we can and must improve.
The third transformative elections in British Guiana/Guyana history by my count, took place in 2015 with the forming of a coalition government, following on transformative elections in 1964 and 1992. The 2011 elections in many ways exposed the need for the APNU+AFC coalition, as without executive power, the Constitution of Guyana in its present form does not sufficiently diminish the power of a minority government over the majority that voted for the opposition parties.
In our beautiful Guyana we are at a point in our history where our political leaders can truly lead in the interest and for the benefit of all Guyanese. Once we start going downhill, especially in our race-based culture, changing course is difficult and reversing course is almost impossible. However, we are still within striking distance of moving in the right direction to achieve many of the goals that have eluded us for over fifty years. It is with these thoughts in mind that I now ask for the ongoing ill-treatment of Winston Brassington to cease. The power to do so rests squarely on the shoulders of the President of Guyana; also, it will be very helpful if leaders of the current opposition focus their ideas and criticisms on issues that will reverberate in a manner beneficial to all Guyanese.
I will highlight why Winston should not be pilloried and condemned: his pivotal work in multiple areas, that on balance has resulted in significant value for Guyana.
Many of the projects and privatization of state assets that NICIL was involved in saved jobs, created employment, improved services to the public, increased returns to the Treasury with a positive multiplying factor leading to significant upside in real estate value, among other benefits.
Whether it was in the bauxite industry, where we now have Bosai and Rusal, or the major improvement in electrical services from GPL, or the completion of the Berbice Bridge, or the establishment of a Marriott in Guyana, or the high market value received for the sale of government shares in GT&T, GNCB and NBIC, Winston Brassington played a central and positive role.
On the broad margins, we can scrutinize projects and privatizations that together number over two hundred and find imperfections, including preferential treatment and measures that go against the grain of good governance; however, the development of a country does not occur in a pristine vacuum.
We must enjoin ourselves to the present, and focus on what we can do now that will strengthen the platform for our future goals and objectives.
Across the globe, we have had amnesties for illegal immigrants, delinquent taxpayers and prisoners, and I appeal to our leaders to use this year of our fiftieth independence anniversary to have a truce and thereby avoid continuing down a path of retributive politics. Not to say there is no basis for punitive action; just not now, not when we have this grand opportunity to enrich our political culture.
With the PPP/C in opposition as a vibrant and well-resourced political party and APNU+AFC holding the reins of power, we are at that fork in the road where we can make the right turn to accelerate the development of our country with confidence in the stability of our political and democratic culture.
Of all the leaders we have had under British Guiana/Guyana, I believe the current President is best suited to lead the healing of the wounds we have inflicted upon each other, both within political parties and against opponents of political parties. The patience President Granger showed when in opposition, his penchant for listening and his sense of fairness and justice was evident to not only his supporters, who were at times critical, but also to supporters of the then ruling party and other opposition parties.
It is a given, that senior personnel changes across the political and state apparatus should occur when a new government takes office; this is necessary, however it does not have to be joined with unjust tactics.
There will never be a time when a change of government occurs and the new government cannot identify cronyism and corruption by the previous political administration.
What we have to build are functioning institutions and systems within the state machinery to mitigate such misdeeds. It is important to be better than our former self with each passing day.
While identifying and correcting previous mistakes is an imperative, we must avoid confrontational politics. The current opposition also has an important role to play in this process; grandstanding should be shunned. It will only lead to toe-to-toe and blow-for-blow politics that will result in a vicious and destructive climate that will undermine our political, social and economic progress.
Competitive politics is necessary for the development of our democracy and country, however there are certain ethical codes that need to be embraced, requiring all political parties to avoid tribal politics whenever and wherever possible.
Yours faithfully,
Nigel Hinds
