Dear Editor,
As the General Secretary of the PPP has stated, a 25% tax break for a rich company such as GTT is unwise. It too is unwise to give a 100% tax break to ExxonMobil. As the General Secretary of the PPP has stated, 95% of the projects were well executed and only 5% had unjustified delays (365 of these projects exist per the Public Works Ministry) or 6,935 projects were being executed successfully. If the urgency of the early morning meeting was necessary to address the concerns of the electorate, then a referendum is also an urgent need to confirm the concerns of the electorate. The 95% success rate also confirms that it is possible for the government to successfully add one simple yes or no question to the ballot in the upcoming elections. A simple straightforward question, which asks the electorate if they want the new government to renegotiate the ExxonMobil contract. If the answer is a resounding yes, then both the government and the opposition will have a mandate to act on the behalf of the Guyanese people. This should easily deliver the votes in Parliament needed to move the renegotiation forward.
In the spirit of “Tuff Love”, I say to those in the fraternity of politics, especially the fraternity brother that spoke of “Tuff Love”, that we must ensure that those who are of stronger educational pedigree and intellectual capacity are respected and listened to so as to guide our nation to success. A multilateral high school is not on the same level as Queen’s College, nor is the Russian education system on the same level as that of the U.S. and Britain, especially at the upper levels. Also, an honorary PhD is not on the same level as a PhD earned via academic achievement. We must recognize poor leadership when it occurs and prevent further arrogance before it turns into tyranny and dictatorship. Clearly, the will of the people is not the will of one poorly informed person. We must ensure that we motivate our teams and bring out the best they have to offer in order to achieve success at the national level. This is not a personal attack, but a moment that offers the opportunity to reflect on the importance of humility and good leadership. Personal characteristics were missing in the recent discussions. No one can achieve the nation’s success without the help of others. A “Tuff Love” comment.
Sincerely,
Jamil Changlee
Chairman
The Cooperative Republicans of Guyana