The time is right for vibrant, young Guyanese to lead

Oct 11, 2008 Letters

Dear Mr. Editor,

I read your column entitled, “Our Cabinet may be too young” and was very disappointed by your misleading arguments. As an editor of a newspaper and a columnist I thought that you would have presented your case in a more coherent and cogent manner.

Let’s analyze what you wrote, and see whether there is any merit. The main thrust of your article is that the cabinet is too young. Young by your definition seem to be less than 50 years old. If we examine the current cabinet which comprise of 22 ministers and 8 advisors, only about 6 persons would be below the ages of 50, this would be approximately 20% of the cabinet. If 20% of the cabinet is below 50 years of age how can you conclude that the cabinet is too young?

In your article you drew a clever contrast between being young and being experienced, inferring that the young were inexperienced, and that they were puppets ready to be pulled. Yet you were unable to develop your arguments to show which of the young ministers have shirked their responsibilities, and when were they manipulated like puppets.

In fact the young ministers like Ashni Singh (PhD), Jennifer Westford (MD), Robert Persaud (EMBA), Priya Manikchand (LLB), Carolyn Rodrigues (MA) and Frank Anthony (MD, MPH) are all qualified professionals and are well respected by their peers and the general public, and 1 am sure that they can hold their own with their counterparts anywhere in the world.

In paragraph 9 of your article, you wrote that “the team that negotiated on behalf of the region comprised young men who may not have commanded the kind of respect.” This negotiation between the Caribbean and the European Union did not involve any of the young cabinet ministers. Guyana’s point person on these negotiations was Dr. Henry Jeffery certainly one of the most experienced ministers of government, having served as Minister of Housing and Labor, Minister of Health, Minister of Education and presently Minister of Foreign Trade and Cooperation.

But these negotiations were done primarily by the Caribbean Regional Negotiating Machinery (CRNM).The main persons in this organization are Henry Gill, Trevor. L. Boothe, Theresa .P. Hinkson and Carl. B. Greenidge. Surely you are not inferring that this team is too “green” to negotiate on behalf of the Caribbean.

I also noticed the clever swipes that were used on the president, in the fourth paragraph you wrote, “It has a young president; a man so young that at one stage people wondered whether he could provide the kind of leadership to move Guyana forward.” Well I guess the people of Guyana have answered that question because at the end of his presidency in 2011 he would have served for 13 years. But I do not need to defend the president. He and his aides are capable of representing themselves.

In closing I want to refer to remarks made by senator Barack Obama on the 30th January, 2008 at Denver, Colorado titled, “the past versus the future” in which he said, “There are those who will tell us that our party should nominate someone who is more practiced in the art of pursuing power; that’s it’s not yet our turn or our time. There was also a time when Caroline Kennedy’s father was counseled by a former president to “be patient,” and to step aside for “someone with greater experience.” But John F. Kennedy responded by saying, “The world is changing. The old ways will not do .It is time for a new generation of leadership.”

I sincerely hope that president Jagdeo, ignores Adam Harris’s advice, and open up more opportunities for young people in his cabinet. Indeed it is time to build the bridge to the twenty first century with vibrant, young leaders.

Deonarine

Latest News

The time is right for vibrant, young Guyanese to lead

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| February, 14th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Slingerz FC shines at Guyana Energy Conference and Youth Forum

Guyana’s rising Chess stars take on Barbados

Elite clubs will challenge KFC monopoly on team...

Bristol named manager as Guyana gears up for 2025...

BCB puts a halt to cricket season due to...

Changes made to KMTC Phagwah Horse race meet

Features/Columnists

The clock and the cloud

CARICOM Nations Should Respond Together To new U.S. Policies

Wood snake year

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

The time is right for vibrant, young Guyanese to lead

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| February, 14th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]