Flying little kites

Aug 11, 2009 Letters

Dear Editor,
Mr. Sasenarine Singh, who was noticeably absent for some time from the corps of professional letter writers to local newspapers, is back to flying little kites.
It is his democratic right to speak his mind wherever he finds succour, but he should be a little more objective and accurate in joining the bandwagon of those trying to ‘diss’ the government’s Low Carbon Development Strategy (LCDS) and engage in little veiled personal attacks on President Bharrat Jagdeo.
His latest offering on the LCDS headed “LCDS is a theoretical document with minimal realism” in the Kaieteur News of August 7 is way off course, leaving one to wonder what is his personal grouse against President Jagdeo.
It follows his previous letter on the issue headlined GGuyana cannot benefit from the LCDS in its current form” in the Kaieteur News of August 4.

I also note Ms. Janette Bulkan’s comments on the LCDS and related issues in some newspapers.
The President has been recognised internationally for his leadership role in trying to securely position Guyana in the climate change battle while contributing to the global climate change cause.
But Mr. Singh sees the draft LCDS, envisaged to benefit generations of Guyanese to come long after Mr. Jagdeo would have vacated office, as “all about personal aggrandizement”.
The President and others involved in the strategy, which is to be put to the United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen, Denmark in December, have been at pains to emphasise the implementation of internationally-sanctioned measures that will be applied to the use of any funds flowing from Guyana’s services to international climate change programmes.
Like has happened with proposed projects in so many other countries as a result of the global financial crisis, the funding sources for Guyana’s ambitious hydro-power project have been stymied and the search is on for other avenues to get the scheme up and running.
In the meantime, the LCDS is on the front burner, but other strategies are in place in case the Copenhagen accord does not fully deliver for Guyana and other forest countries in the developing world.
Mr. Singh is so intent on sniping at the President that he did not bother to update himself on the hydro-power project he claims he is so endeared to and only partially referred to the issue.
Mr. Jagdeo provided an update in June when he addressed University of Guyana students on the LCDS at the Turkeyen campus.
At that forum, the President said that “final studies” on the Amaila Falls Hydropower project should be completed by the end of August and will determine whether the company that currently holds a licence to develop the venture will go ahead with it.
Drawing up the LCDS was not a pipe a dream. A lot of work went into it by the internationally-recognised McKinsey group and others.
Prominent international figures like Britain’s Prince Charles have commended President Jagdeo and the Guyana Government for its forward-looking plan to put Guyana’s forests in the global climate change strategy and to get paid for its services.
Norway has pledged to back Guyana’s model and the President of Switzerland has invited Mr. Jagdeo to visit Switzerland next month for talks on climate change issues. Switzerland wants to link with the EU on climate change.

Ms. Bulkan seems to be trying to make an excuse for not coming up with constructive comments on the LCDS and it’s strange for her to be casting aspersions about the transparency of the consultations when reputable figures have a different view.
Skeptics should also read the article in the Sunday Chronicle of August 9 in which World Bank Guyana Country Representative Mr. Giorgio Valentini talks about the LCDS and the potential it has for Guyana and Guyanese and the example it can set for 36 other countries around the world.
Referring to the almost certain qualification of Guyana for a grant from the World Bank to help prepare the country for the carbon market, he said, “Guyana can become the best practice after this is done…something that Guyana can be proud of and that can provide long-term sustainability to improvements in the social and economic sectors”.
Will Ms. Bulkan and others now be attacking Mr. Valentini for his forthright views?
She should have attended the consultation sessions, including the President’s interactions with Amerindian leaders at the National Toshaos Council Meeting at the International Convention Centre, Liliendaal last month.
The President and the government have been engaged with other governments and partners over several years before the LCDS was drawn up and it is important to note that this is a draft strategy that is to be refined and if there are flaws these will be corrected.
Constructive recommendations for its improvement would surely be most helpful to the government and can redound to the benefit of all Guyanese, including generations to come.
Todd Morgan