Dear Editor,
I note with a mixture of feelings the PPP Government’s blaming of two civil society activists for the suspension of this country from the EITI body. In the interest of this country’s standing and reputation, wherever those are, my hope is that the EITI suspension would be over before we know it. But for the PPP Government to blame Mr. Mike McCormack and Ms. Vanda Radzik for what happened is part of a governance continuum that is low, self-serving, and barking up the wrong tree; in this instance, two trees. I regret having to interfere with this season for me, but there is little choice left.
Mr. McCormack and Ms. Radzik are consistent in what they have been standing for, which is to get clarity, depth, transparency, and some level of authenticity in our affairs, be it the environment, human rights, and other rights. I do not know either of them close up, but I laud their tireless works, their ongoing fearless advocacies, in numerous fields of Guya-nese life. Along the same lines, I knew Dr. Rudy Jadoopat a little more, and though we had our differences, he felt comfortable enough to express his consternation at the foot-dragging, shortchanging of information, and overall stonewalling by those who had much to hide, more to fear, and the most to gain by not doing as was required in terms of submissions to the agency. It was my understanding then that the quality of the submissions fell way short of what could ever be deemed satisfactory. To make matters worse, even some agencies of the State were lacking in what was shared. This was three years ago and, from all indications, matters have gone downhill from there.
This was festering for a while, and alarms over what had to be furnished only intensified. I should mention that some of the more significant human obstacles, the more vocal objectors, who came up with every excuse not to comply fully, are among the people with the closest links to today’s PPP Government. They are what I would call hot button and hot water citizens of this country, who are among the hottest participants in this country’s glorious economic ascendancy. If I sound like a former East German spokesman, be assured that I intended to come across as one in this fleeting instance. What the plight, and today’s fate, of Guyana, relative to EITI, meant was that it was just a matter of time before what happened did happen – suspension. There were signals, subtle and strong; bells rung repeatedly, but those were all to no avail.
The PPP Government and its leaders continued to be characteristically deaf, while now pretending to be dumb by fingering two civil society activists. Separately, I do not have any special intelligence on Dr. Prem Misir, Dr. Jadoopat’s replacement, but his mere presence did resonate in an uncharitable manner when his appointment was announced. I would go so far as to say that the sober in this society said to themselves that that action will be regretted. For it was widely held, and said in some nuanced ways, that Dr. Misir’s being at the helm could only result in things falling apart. With due regard to the sensitivities of the new man, I say that we have the proof today in the form of this suspension. I humbly recommend to this unknown brother that he maintains whatever residual dignity is there by tendering his resignation since this deplorable development occurred under his watch. The responsibility for the suspension is on his head, and the people who put him in that position.
The lesson from all this is that unless the President and his government develop a keener sense of what good and inclusive and reciprocally respected governance (and leadership) is all about, then there will be repeats and rewinds leading to these same outcomes. Work with those who mean well, engage those legitimately in place, (and of legitimate patriotic presence), observe the underpinnings of democratic leadership, and do not constantly strive to undermine, diminish, and override. The dictatorial will only unleash the adversarial; and the all too clever what should never be. The EITI suspension speaks volumes on this.
Sincerely,
GHK Lall
