Dear Editor,
I came under serious attack by some founding members and supporters of the Alliance for Change (AFC) after my letter was published in Stabroek News edition of February 16, captioned ‘The Cummingsburg Accord is working well’. Two of them who are living overseas have challenged me to prove that the Accord is working well; one said there was no 40 per cent of AFC members on state boards as was mentioned in the letter, while the other whom I knew well and who had campaigned on the political platform, told me that was rubbish; the AFC did not get its fair share according to the Cummingsburg Accord.
Supporters, from Essequibo and Berbice felt the same way and aired their sentiment; however, in my opinion people have a right to vent their anger and frustration when they see things are going the wrong way. They also have a right to speak out and hold their leaders accountable for blunders in relation to their election promises and the Accord; that is what democracy is all about. I always feel that people and leaders are bound to make mistakes and there is room for corrections given genuine concerns.
I have never seen the Cummingsburg Accord or read it, but from what I heard, it was supposed to be APNU 60 per cent and AFC 40 per cent across the board. Having said that, my understanding is that APNU being the larger party in the coalition will get the presidency with 60 per cent of the allocated seats for ministers and MPs and the same for state boards. The AFC being the third force with no umbrella party and a force to be reckoned with, will get the prime ministerial position and the same allocation of 40 per cent ministers, MP’s, chief executive officers and members of state boards and other commissions. If this does not happen the diehard AFC members and supporters have a case, all things being equal.
This topic raised by the overseas supporters, Essequibians and Berbicians is complex, and there is no clearly defined easy answers, as I am not aware of the board compositions where APNU has dominated the AFC. May 11 2015, saw a proliferation of political parties, but most were shells which on their own would have polled less than the statutory electoral quota, but were given ministerial seats.
My contention is that even if this is the case, there are competent and highly qualified people in the AFC who could also be ambassabors, and could hold key positions in all ministries, educational institutions and the Office of the President. While the President has a right to choose whom he wants, I honestly believe that when new vacancies exist, a list should be sent to the Alliance for Change to submit their candidate who can be considered. This doesn’t mean that the vacancy shouldn’t be advertised internally and externally and the most suitable quailified person should not be given the job.
The Accord I assumed was a political solution based upon power-sharing between the two parties in order to bridge the racial divide and unite the 6 races, giving them an equal opportunity in decision-making within the 10 regions. This was a golden opportunity and the dawn of a new era; if we miss it before the 5 years in government expire, we will have nothing to celebrate. All the meetings and rallies which I covered and attended, motivated me to join the unity train, because I saw all the races there, something I haven’t seen in all my life. It gave me hope that Guyana will be united once more and all the people will be living as one. However, it’s not too late to make this a reality. The Opposition Leader has been moving around brainwashing Indians and trying to influence them to vote for him in 2020, using the Wales sugar factory closure as an example of a dent in Indians’ livelihood along with the steep drop in the price for paddy. The government should realize that the race card is still alive and they should close the gap.
Yours faithfully,
Mohamed Khan
