Dear Editor,
Many are asking the question: why is the APNU+AFC coalition administration shooting itself in the foot so often, does it have a plan come 2020 to thwart the will of the electorate?
Not only has the government been wrong-footed on numerous occasions it has also committed many wrongdoings since its assumption to office. Amazingly, the government blithely proceeds like Limacol with ‘a breeze in a bottle.’ minus the freshness.
Beginning with the humungous increase in ministerial salaries, the wasteful and unnecessary prestige projects, aggressive deficit spending, burdensome tax impositions, secretive deals for sugar, the drug bond scandal and the mysterious purchase of pharmaceuticals, the resented VAT on education, the indigestible parking meters project, clashes with the private sector and the gold and diamond miners association, lies to sugar workers and rice farmers, just to mention a few, illustrate the utter contempt and extent to which the government is prepared to go to ‘dis’ the Guyanese people irrespective of their sensitivities.
The simplistic explanation that “they just don’t care” will not suffice. There must be some logical explanation and conclusion drawn as regards this ‘unruly horse’ – type behaviour. Why would a government consciously commit political hara-kiri knowing that such acts will inevitably impact its electoral fortunes come 2020?
Should they not be concerned?
Take for example the recent statement by the National Toshaos Council on the vexed question of lands vis-a-vis the establishment of a Presidential COI on lands. The Toshaos made it very clear that there was no free, prior and informed consent with the Amerindian communities on the matter and that were the government to proceed notwithstanding, it would have to deal with the electoral fall-out come 2020.
By way of digression, sections of the media have gone into a frenzy on the subject. One writer called on government to “Act now on African Land Issues.” Another, claims that “The President’s Land Commission threatens Amerindian rights and democratic gains and must be revoked.” Yet another declares that for Amerindians to “ask for 24% of Guyana is totally wrong.” And to compound the matter further there is much confusion as to whether the GLSC or a COI is the best mechanism to resolve this issue of national importance.
To be told that; “At the level of land, the authority for the issue of any land title is the President or any person so authorized by the President to issue titles” is not only disingenuous but deceptive. If this is indeed the case why embark on such a highly controversial process at this time? After all, both the President and Mr Harmon have been” listening to complaints.” We are told that everywhere they go “people have been talking about land.”
But it seems that the powers that be ears’ are more inclined to those who are bent on ‘setting up’ the administration for a political free fall irrespective of the political/electoral consequences.
Pulitzer- prize winning historian Barbara W. Tuchman writing in her book ‘The March of Folly’ posed the question:
“A phenomenon noticeable throughout history regardless of place or period is the pursuit by governments of policies contrary to their own interests. Mankind, it seems, makes a poorer performance of wisdom, which may be defined as the exercise of judgement acting on experience, common sense and available information, is less operative and more frustrated than it should be. Why do holders of high office so often act contrary to the way reason points and enlightened self-interests suggests? Why does intelligent mental process seem so often not to function?”
Viewed from a wider perspective, Tuchman’s question is absolutely relevant Guyana.
The APNU+AFC and their apologists might very well claim, as they usually are wont to say that Tuchman is also relevant to the PPP/C when it held office.
But that is precisely Tuchman’s point.
The APNU+AFC is the government of the day not the PPP/C therefore good judgement must prevail on the part of the Granger administration who should act based on ‘experience, common sense and available information.’
Regrettably, many ministers have no experience in government save for the few who served in the Burnham dictatorship and this explains the burgeoning dictatorial posturing by the Granger administration. Common sense seems to be a scarce commodity in government circles. And while much information has been placed at the disposal of the coalition administration by the former PPP/C government to assist in decision making regrettably, they have consciously set aside that information since the preference these days is to do things differently.
Thus Tuchman concludes: “For the chief of state under modern conditions, a limiting factor is too many subjects and problems in too many areas of government to allow solid understanding of any of them, and too little time to think between fifteen minute appointments and thirty page briefs. This leaves the field open to protective stupidity. Meanwhile the bureaucracy, safely repeating today what it did yesterday, rolls on as ineluctable as some vast computer, which once penetrated by error, duplicates it forever. Above all, the lure of office, known in our country as Potomac fever stultifies a better performance of government. The bureaucrat dreams of promotion, higher officials want to extend their reach, legislators and the chief of state want re-election; and the guiding principle in these pursuits is to please as many and to offend as few as possible.
“Intelligent government would require that the persons entrusted with high office should formulate and execute policy according to their best judgement, the best knowledge available and a judicious estimate of the lesser evil. But re-election is on their minds and that becomes the criterion.”
It is this ‘re-election criterion’ that Guyanese must be concerned about. The country’s experience with rigged ejections must not be brushed under the carpet.
Available information about past electoral experiences must be dusted off and brought to light for everyone’s benefit and enlightenment. And common sense must be utilized by all Guyanese, young and old to ensure that future elections in our country are free and fair and free from fear.
Our thinking must be strategic. Let us not be naive believing that those who may be afflicted by red carpet fever are not at work with their re-election uppermost in mind.
Yours faithfully,
Clement J. Rohee
