Latest update September 4th, 2026 10:24 AM
SAYING NICE THINGS ABOUT EACH OTHER
It is not even Christmas and our politicians are paying a lot of compliments. First, it was the Mayor of Georgetown describing a Government minister as a bully; then it was the President describing Uncle Freddie as a fool.
Uncle Freddie must feel all good about the compliment. After all, he is in good company. We all know what was the outcome of the compliments the President paid to Yesu Persaud.
We all know just how knowledgeable the Government proved to be about the country’s tax laws. They were so knowledgeable about it that they had to rush to Parliament to institute an amendment to the statute, so as to ensure they were not caught on the wrong side of the law.
After that incident, Yesu got an honorary doctorate. Uncle Freddie says he does not want such honours. All he desires is a new Vice Chancellor at the University of Guyana.
The President is, however, not likely to fire anyone at the University of Guyana, or, for that matter, any of his ministers who were supposed to have foretold about the problems of GuySuCo, or, for that matter, the Demerara Harbour Bridge.
Instead of reading Uncle Freddie’s column, the President ought to have been reading Peeping Tom who, months ago, pointed out the serious problems with the bridge. Anyone who has travelled on that bridge over the past year would attest to its deterioration. And thousands cross that bridge each day.
However, the President is now like Christopher Columbus. He has discovered that the bridge is in a poor state.
I hope he continues to move around the country, less in his presidential limousine and more on his feet, because the more he does this, the more he will discover problems that are not being brought to his attention. This column has long requested that the President pay unannounced visits to the Deeds Registry, the Registry of Births and Deaths, and the Emergency Department of the Georgetown Hospital. He has, so far, not heeded my advice.
Instead, he is calling a stakeholders’ meeting to inform the stakeholders of the financial crisis that the world is facing. I urge the stakeholders not to attend any such meeting, unless they are satisfied that it is structured in such a manner that they would not have to sit and listen to the President tell them what they can easily learn by listening to CNN.
The stakeholders in this country need to be consulted in a manner in which their views are not just solicited, but in which they have a meaningful and participatory input into a national response.
They should not be lured into attending any consultation in which the President will outline the outcome of his discussions with the financial sector and inform them what are the plans of the Government.
If the Government is serious about a national response, then Parliament should be reconvened and there should be a debate on the implications of the financial crisis. What we do not need in Guyana is another EPA-type consultation.
The Government, of course, will sign the EPA. All this nonsense about two sets of conditions being met before signature is just a way of the Government saving face. The Government will not achieve what it set out to achieve i.e. a “goods only” EPA, and it will therefore have to join the rest of CARICOM in signing. I am taking a bet that the Prime Minister will be asked to deputize for the President in signing the EPA.
It was so nice to have the Prime Minister act as President over the past few weeks. I must say that it was some of the best weeks the country had in a long time. We must encourage President Jagdeo to take longer trips overseas, since it was so peaceful and serene here when he was in China.
I have an issue with the Chinese. I am disappointed that the Chinese President did not meet our President. This was the first time that I can recall that a Head of State of Guyana visited China and, instead of being received by President Hu, he was greeted by the Premier. Anyway, the Chinese President is the one who missed an opportunity to shake hands with the great President Jagdeo.
Anyway, now that the President is back, we can now resolve a matter of serious national importance that was put in limbo awaiting his return. So serious was this matter that it had to await the return of the President before a decision could be made. Now that he is back, we will be able to deal with the increase in prices for bread.
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