How to `co-operate’ with riggers
I’ll concede upfront that today’s offering might come off as a bit of a ramble not too coherently fashioned.
However I want to define the roles of persons who work to make government work; to manage our State’s national resources at various levels of status and responsibility; who strive to be good and professional at what they do. Even as “politics”, political decisions, perspectives, affiliations and yes, actual politicians intrude.
The young Guyanese attends various levels of school. Qualified, he/she is again trained -sometimes on a job – to acquire experience which later makes him/her a competent professional in a chosen field which the management of government and business needs.
The ministry’s senior managers, the corporation’s CEO’s and “admin” officers work diligently to contribute to all-round development whilst earning monthly rewards for selves and families.
******
Influence? Impact? The political professional
All citizens eighteen years and older have the constitutional civil right to vote for some political entity of their choice. If they wish or choose to do so at election time.
From the chief justice and chancellor to the Anglican/Roman Catholic Bishop to the Chief Medical Officer, heads of army and police to the newspaper/tv? Publisher and editor-in-chief to the mayors and big business czars to the carpenter and vendor – all are entitled to some political choice.
But things can go awry when the professional allows the political (biases/preferences) to influence methodologies, time lines or decisions. Whether in a ministry, at the university or in the private corporation, when purely political considerations – worse, tinged sometimes with ethnic or party biases – dictate the course of professional, managerial requirements, success can be derailed, become discriminatory and temporary and certainly not invitational to longevity.
Now spare moments to look around all types of work-places to discover some, or much of the above.
******
Partisan? Patriot? Who are they?
In World War Two conflicts a partisan was an adherent of freedom-fighting units, a rebel or guerilla–type fighter resisting invading occupiers. Today’s “partisan” is more of a political member or activist not given to too much negotiation over what should be issues begging for consensus.
In good old Guyana, periodic elections tend to produce all types of partisans – the political, of course, the ambitious opportunists and the open or bedroom racists!
I’ve been around this land for more than seven decades but besides the ultimate Burnham autocracy, I’ve never experienced the emergence of so many partisans capable of fooling themselves as they try to persuade their leader’s loyalists.
So the poor patriot. Who is that? The simple basic definition is “one who loves his or her country.” Who wouldn’t? Those who become disillusioned with the politics and management of the once-loved country. There are implications for patriots too. Patriots can migrate. Patriots can be (good?) politicians and leaders. Patriots can be humble, life-long law-abiding citizens. Are you a patriot?
******
The political ego, the political brand
“Ego” has a psychoanalytical element that’s above my understanding. I know that the ego is “self as distinguished from others” an egoistic or egocentric dude is one who is self-centred and overly concerned with self only. And this is demonstrated in varied manifestations.
See how the political egotist brands his domain – from party to community playground to village or town. The Brigadier branded even buses, boats and bicycles! (By the way, his name should not be erased from those mini-buses that were donated exclusively to him.)
Disregarding the purely political folks, society sometimes sees it fit to pay tribute to worthy political leaders. Nothing wrong. But tyrants, cheaters, riggers and the unpatriotic should not be allowed to subject us to their “brand”. Whichever their party.
**********
Conversing with Riggers: Statesmanship?
I still believe that when His Excellency invited the Brigadier to meet with him and all the other PPP Presidents, it was really a Bharrat Jagdeo-inspired tactic to dupe the PNC leader into false security and status. He would have also been conceding a victory he delayed for months.
In other more volatile scenarios in political, conflict-ridden places such as Africa and, especially, the Middle East, one sees “yesterday’s rebel leaders becoming today’s Parliamentarians and Statesmen.” Those war-torn lands must find electoral or military solutions just to survive without massive deaths.
Here in our Green Land it is known which entities promote violence as solutions. Now there are pleas for government and opposition to sit down and “negotiate” peace and progress.
When the Brigadier’s APNU/AFC won its slim majority in May 2015, the PPP filed an election petition challenging the 2015 results. That petition was never ever fully heard! Now the same APNU/AFC has a pending petition. It wants the PPP victory overturned. New elections must follow.
Meanwhile, government and riggers must meet “constructively.” Please convince me of how success will attend those efforts.
************
Again ponder…
1) Besides the allegation of thousands of Afro youths killed extra-judicially in recent PPP times, I’m intrigued by current allegations of 1000 Afros dismissed (politically) in five months. A.G. Nandlall explained: 90% of those contract employees were political appointments. They were not even required, nor qualified. The Public Service was made four times its required size. How could we maintain that?” Response?
2) So because Donald Trump claims massive US electoral rigging- and even as in most elections there were indeed discrepancies – a US Ambassador had/has no right to denounce PNC rigging here? Be gone!
3) I always wonder what the PNC’s Hugh Desmond Hoyte would have thought of the 2020 rigging. He knew of electoral engineering (’68-’85) ’til Jimmy Carter invited him to change his ways.
4) Reasonable media blitz by PNC young Turks. Stay active. If nothing else.
5) Poor man wants to build a home or established a business: CH&PA, Bank, EPA, Fire Service, MCC/NDC, the utilities. Persevere!
’Til next week
