A combined opposition cannot just be anti-PPP

Jun 23, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
As expected, the recent victory of the People’s Partnership in Trinidad has created a flurry of activities in Guyana regardless of the fact that the two situations are fundamentally different.
Trinidad has a constitution that the people of Trinidad can live with, while Guyana has an Executive Presidency Westminster system that stifles the country and promotes racial divisiveness.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s victory came about in a system where individuals, including herself had to take part in constituency elections, while Guyana has a Party list system that is fundamentally undemocratic and gives Party leaders maximum power. Nevertheless, the enthusiasm created by changes in government in the UK, Suriname and Trinidad give momentum and credence to the need for change in Guyana.
I want to caution the political elite in Guyana about their rank and scheming opportunism and why they are misusing the Trinidad situation for their personal selfish gain as they are slowly and unintelligently sowing the seeds of discontent that can derail an effective and needed Combined Opposition.
First, let me congratulate Joey Jagan for his well intended letter indicating that any Combined Opposition will need to have a signed public document although the 15 principles he has pointed out are more tactical that strategic. For example, Joey pointed out that there should be 12 Ministries. This is premature because there has to be a new economic and political vision for Guyana and this will determine how many Ministries.
Structure (ministries) always comes after strategy. It is like saying I want to be a National Party but only have offices in Georgetown. Currently, because of a strategy of Executive dominance and political insularity so that an LCDS philosophy can be unilaterally pursued without adequate debate and the consent of Parliament, key areas of economic governance like the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Environment Protection Agency, the Guyana Forestry Commission and the Ministry of Communication are out of the purview of Parliament as they are not ministries.
Hence, the so called future economic status of Guyana has no Parliamentary oversight. Mining is Guyana’s largest foreign exchange earner and Parliament has no oversight of this industry. Nevertheless Joey is on the right path.
Today, everyone recognises that Guyana is a modern day political, social, economic tragedy. Ultimately, the solution to our multi-dimensional crisis with its accompanying social, economic and cultural ramifications, and especially poverty, will be constitutional reform leading to “power sharing or shared governance”.
This would over time lead to participatory democracy and nurture a climate leading to a Plural Democracy in which Guyana will become a just multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-party society in which every citizen is equal before the Law and in which every citizen enjoys freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of religion and the right to life, freedom, privacy and safety. These rights include economic and political
(Continued on page 7)Dear Editor,
As expected, the recent victory of the People’s Partnership in Trinidad has created a flurry of activities in Guyana regardless of the fact that the two situations are fundamentally different.
Trinidad has a constitution that the people of Trinidad can live with, while Guyana has an Executive Presidency Westminster system that stifles the country and promotes racial divisiveness.
Prime Minister Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s victory came about in a system where individuals, including herself had to take part in constituency elections, while Guyana has a Party list system that is fundamentally undemocratic and gives Party leaders maximum power. Nevertheless, the enthusiasm created by changes in government in the UK, Suriname and Trinidad give momentum and credence to the need for change in Guyana.
I want to caution the political elite in Guyana about their rank and scheming opportunism and why they are misusing the Trinidad situation for their personal selfish gain as they are slowly and unintelligently sowing the seeds of discontent that can derail an effective and needed Combined Opposition.
First, let me congratulate Joey Jagan for his well intended letter indicating that any Combined Opposition will need to have a signed public document although the 15 principles he has pointed out are more tactical that strategic. For example, Joey pointed out that there should be 12 Ministries. This is premature because there has to be a new economic and political vision for Guyana and this will determine how many Ministries.
Structure (ministries) always comes after strategy. It is like saying I want to be a National Party but only have offices in Georgetown. Currently, because of a strategy of Executive dominance and political insularity so that an LCDS philosophy can be unilaterally pursued without adequate debate and the consent of Parliament, key areas of economic governance like the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission, the Environment Protection Agency, the Guyana Forestry Commission and the Ministry of Communication are out of the purview of Parliament as they are not ministries.
Hence, the so called future economic status of Guyana has no Parliamentary oversight. Mining is Guyana’s largest foreign exchange earner and Parliament has no oversight of this industry. Nevertheless Joey is on the right path.
Today, everyone recognises that Guyana is a modern day political, social, economic tragedy. Ultimately, the solution to our multi-dimensional crisis with its accompanying social, economic and cultural ramifications, and especially poverty, will be constitutional reform leading to “power sharing or shared governance”.
This would over time lead to participatory democracy and nurture a climate leading to a Plural Democracy in which Guyana will become a just multi-racial, multi-cultural, multi-party society in which every citizen is equal before the Law and in which every citizen enjoys freedom of speech, freedom of association, freedom of religion and the right to life, freedom, privacy and safety. These rights include economic and political security.
Just recently, Rupert Roopnaraine highlighted that there is too much of a focus on who will be the Leader of a Combined Opposition at the expense of more critical principles. He stated “without a planned economic, social and political programme the coalition stands more of a chance to fail than to succeed”. I agree with him.
At the core of this focus on who should be the Leader of the Combined Opposition is political and personal dishonesty by the political elite. It also shows a deep seated resistance to the principle of shared governance. There are no Maximum leaders in a shared governance environment. This inbred Westminster attitude of winner-take-all is contrary to shared governance and is very evident in the daily political fights within the PNC and AFC.
Political Parties in Guyana are all undemocratic parties which subscribe to the principle of a Maximum leader. All of the political parties subscribe to winner-take-all. Hence the fight with the PNC between Robert Corbin and Winston Murray must be seen in this light. If a Party is committed to shared governance, then its own internal governance and operational processes should reflect this. The supporters of Winston Murray and more importantly, Winston Murray himself, must commit to this shared governance principle and work as a team. The essence of shared governance is teamwork. This will also be the essence of any effective Combined Opposition. Teamwork based on established principles. I strongly recommend to Winston that he and his core supporters which include Richard van West, Aubrey Norton, Vincent Alexander and James McAllister to accept Robert Corbin’s invitation to become members of the PNC’s 2011 Election Committee, and to use this process to negotiate and settle their differences.
The PNC needs harmony and the contribution of all members if it wishes for a better Guyana. Any other process, and especially clandestine ones and character  attack campaigns, will only further weaken the PNC and make a Combined Opposition ineffective, broken spirited and mean spirited.
The AFC also needs to get its house in order before it attempts to forge a Combined Opposition. Khemraj Ramjattan has publicly stated in Guyana and Canada, that he will not be a part of a Combined Opposition. Raphael Trotman wants the AFC to be a part of a Combined Opposition and also badly wants to be the leader or the number two. This has led to a part of the AFC leadership creating purposeful and strategic (so they believe) interventions by the Peter Wickham CADRES Poll prior to the AFC’s last weekend meeting to decide on their rotation principle as well as the  introduction of  Henry Hartley from Barbados without Kemraj Ramjattan’s agreement.
These interventions were designed to strengthen Raphael’s hands and to create a momentum that would essentially sideline Khemraj. There is nothing sophisticated about this. It is pure hard core politics for Raphael to get his way and to lead the AFC into a Combined Opposition. Henry Hartley is a close associate of Peter Wickham (CADRES poll) and in essence was here to operationalize the poll to Raphael’s advantage. I myself take the poll with a large grain of salt as it lacks credibility in many areas but has enough truths in it to make it seem credible.
The AFC needs to look deep into its soul because the current treatment of Peter Ramsaroop is despicable no different than the treatment dished out to Gomattie Singh. Peter Ramsaroop has brought a large number of ideas to the AFC and unlike many politicians in Guyana, works hard, is experienced in many fields, commits his own capital and time to a better Guyana, and is team oriented. The maximum leaders seem to want no challengers regardless of the contribution made by others.
As I have said in the past, the rotation strategy of the AFC is undemocratic and authoritarian if only the three founder members are the ones to be rotated. This rotation is about acknowledging that Guyana is a racially divided society and not about enlightened leadership. It is a Westminster approach to the race problem in Guyana. The issue is that Westminster is a bad system for Guyana and any Westminster solution is just as bad. Let me also caution the AFC about denial and deception. I was invited by the AFC to a meeting with Henry Hartley. Yes, he is good at what he does. What worried me greatly was the idea raised by him and supported by the AFC leadership at that meeting that Guyana does not have a racial problem.
Such incredible dishonesty or group delusion or denial of reality will only lead to a false basis for a Combined Opposition and incorrect solutions to the massive problems facing Guyana. Henry Hartley should not be invited back to put the Combined Opposition together as he does not understand Guyana’s problems or people.
We need a leader of the Combined Opposition who understands that there is dire need for a comprehensive national strategy for our youth and that this should include issues of job creation, a better educational system and micro-finance).
Most importantly, we need a Leader of the Combined Opposition who understands the massive security dangers facing Guyana from drug Lords, the Army, Police and other criminal gangs in this criminal economy of ours.
All things taken into consideration, The Combined Opposition should not be led by anyone from any existing political Party for they simply do not qualify. They show this by their daily bickering and subterfuge, lack of team building skills and past history of being conspicuously absent in dealing with the problems facing Guyana. In this manner, they are no different than the PPP leaders whom have been misruling this country of ours.
Eric Phillips

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