State of lawless authority

Sep 03, 2009 Letters

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Dear Editor,
August 6th 2009 marked the 24th death anniversary of Forbes Burnham. He upheld a prodigy as a visionary leader, lived a controversial life and died in controversial circumstances.
His special and rare faculties impacted significantly on Caribbean history in the 20th century. His intellectual artistic willpower, enigmatic personality, and immense political cleverness allowed him to dominate Guyanese politics and outshine all contemporaries.
Greatly influenced by the philosophical principles of Machiavellian art of scientific statecraft, he understood how to balance manipulation and profanity with virtue, to grip state power. Unfortunately his delusion of Guyana was corrupted by power politics; according to John Acton, “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely.”
The personality of Burnham left a legacy of hunger for ‘power, selfishness, and autocracy’; a political trend immersed into the Guyanese social reality ever since independence.
History still recorded the many crafted and intellectual accomplishments of Burnham’s governance; his successes and failures; and his fundamental ideologies and practices. Burnham was a true politician and since formal Guyanese history is not widely known by many young people, our generational heritage remains inferior today, and will continue to stagnate.
The Dutch and British colonialism permanently smudged Guyana’s political design and with the introduction of proportional representation (PR) into the electoral system in 1964, a stage was set for poor governance, racial tensions and underdevelopment; in polarizing the major ethnic groups of society. The system of PR sustained racial voting under the British parliamentary government (the Westminster system).Guyana inherited the political influence of ‘race’ and ‘ideology’; whereby politics favoured ethnicity rather than ideology.

This Westminster model was originally meant to be a vehicle for royal authority which essentially provided the space for whosoever holds the mantle of presidency, hold absolute executive power.
Burnham to Jagdeo’s governance, have had inevitable manipulation by the International Financial Institutions (IFIs); and succeeding crawling out of a highly indebted poor country (HIPC) status, Guyana’s allegiance to the IFIs contribute to poverty, unemployment, crime, misery, and most of all emigration.
This illusion of sustainable development reduces real development and a strong domestic economy.
Sorrowfully Guyana is viewed by many as a ‘failed state’ not withstanding political twist with reference to the indicators of the failed states index; which impacts on the vulnerable social, economic, and political areas. Evidently the institutional backbone of society has begun to disintegrate, namely the family; as well as simultaneously diminishing the value system of integrity. Sometime ago comically the head of state remarked (“why is everybody studying Sociology at the University of Guyana (UG) and not engineering”).
I was appalled and I question, where are the engineering and industrial complexes for engineers to gain employment? Does Guyana have the production factors for potential industrialization?
The philosophical, intellectual, and professional people have ‘brain drained’ Guyana, to the high income countries and continues to do so at alarming rates, simply because there are no significant incentives to prevent this exodus.
Recent remarks from the head of state about instilling entrepreneurial attitudes in children, as a new approach to the national development strategy, is worthwhile but may prove burdensome on the academic curriculum.

What is suggested is the government investment in human resources and infrastructure needed to develop entrepreneurial culture in Guyana. Such as the reimplementation of the Guyana national service (GNS); so people of all walks of life can benefit from entrepreneurial proficiency training.
My question is does everyone have the resources to become entrepreneurs? If government intends to subsidize this venture, then why hasn’t it done so already?
With high cost of production from using petroleum electric power, Guyana is at a disadvantage to expertly manufacture and trade competitively in the vicious international market. Could the hydro electric power venture that has been in the pipe line for decades make a difference?
As a traditional agricultural driven economy much needed expertise, experience and skilled labour is needed to compete successfully against high tech, high income countries of the world.
The President makes this sound like a ‘walk in the national park’, since trade and export markets are very competitive depending on the raw or final product.

Nothing is new about this economic strategy except maybe for the information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure. Sensibly enough the move to reduce bandwidth cost for affordable internet services is applauded, given the present internet service providers’ lofty earnings from internet users.
The head of state intention to disinvest the telecommunication revenue bearing shares could probably create some difference in a definite niche market toward the ICT sector; but this remains to be seen.
This suggests eventually once people are provided with the necessary resources and skills (ICT compatibility), they can work from within their very homes, as outsource agents and so on.
While the State owned corporations are sloping downwards; the multi million dollar test project factory recently commissioned, will inevitably struggle to practicably produce required targets which can mean indefinite importation of sugar for local consumption, as evidenced by the billions of dollars lost in revenue, from (GuySuCo.) Guyana cannot bargain for natural resources in a significant manner, due to its weak currency and decaying environmental standards.

I agree with Freddie Kissoon’s commentary: “The President does not understand the sociological nature of this society”.
Although the roots of critical problems in society are political and sociological in nature, sociological theory advancement and application should be furnished at the university level, so as to encourage practical sociological skills in social relations.
According to (Durkheim, Marx, and Weber), if the state lacks funding toward sociological theory construction, then the state cannot expand empirical data to rid latent problems.
They suggested that the inherent complexity of social reality commands theory construction and application by groups of sociologists, in working to solve common societal problems.
Sociological examination is fundamentally recommended for many institutions in society especially the military, since it is viewed as a society within a society.

Given the human rights abuses that exist such as alleged tortures to assassinations of citizens under the protection and/or custody of the state; this nonetheless is highly suggested.
Appallingly the state apparatus have become desperados’ and illegitimate episodes, such as the stolen rifles from the military armoury, the stolen police gears from inside the police headquarters, the Lindo creek massacre, water top piracy activities and several other criminal acts and injustice.
The military bureaucracy as well as chief commander should be embarrassed at the recent occurrence where a young man was deliberately murdered by marine guards on duty. Obviously the state apparatus have disconnected themselves from what it means to serve and protect the integrity of the state.
This behaviour illustrates poor governance and lawlessness in all locale of society.
Further the recent allegations from the overseas court trial revealed particular Government officials in corrupt practices of aiding and abetting with civilians’ in the acquisition and activation of surveillance devices’; in condoning of a paramilitary “phantom force” that executed illegitimate monopoly on violence.
The indication of all this suggest the ruling regime is allegedly implicated in extra judicial crimes which warrant the docile citizenry to petition the judiciary; or an international committee for independent investigations.

Since the head of state and henchmen disassociated themselves from the accusations and moved to exempt themselves from polygraph testing; this then supports a partial attempt to discriminate the functions of professional performance.
The Head of state ought not to worry about the costs or the quantities of people involved, but rather administrate competent investigations which subject failures to scrutiny by law; so that accountability and transparency can prevail throughout the bureaucratic institutions of this country.
Various scandals have emerged over the years regarding mismanagement and abuse of taxpayers’ funds; all in all, corruption and barefaced disregard for the rule of law.
There is no question whatsoever that this rogue regime have politicized the state apparatus and encouraged the illegitimate monopoly on violence.
This sort of nonsense could never have occurred in the 1960’s, as the central capital would have been shut down instantaneously.

The greatest problem in Guyana is said to be the compromised judiciary; and the limited separation of powers in administering and adjudicating the rule of law.
Sullenly, the judiciary does not seem to serve its function in reviewing unconstitutional acts of parliament and other grave matters of the state.
Its functions are overwhelmed and weary; in actuality many shady practices are protected politically by parliamentary contribution or special presidential interventions.
It seems that Guyana will not recover from political corruption, mass migrations, and an unfortunate historical repetition of failed political manoeuvres.
The opposition parties on the other hand have enough facts to incriminate this regime but seem just as reactive and lame; as parliamentary members seemingly are paid for their hopelessness. Guyana is degenerating as the days progress and many irregularities and injustices seem to be fading from the minds of people.
Until now the relevant authorities are uncivil to disclose clear, truthful and accountable information to the public; for instance, the helicopters purchased from the “global X group”, refurbishments to drainage pump stations and acquisition of pumps, inferior roads, bridges and sluices have all revealed the swindling of taxpayers’ money.

This nonsense of issuing party funders and supporters multi-million dollar contracts, shows that the officials are not really creating a trustful atmosphere for transparency in which civil society can self regulate civilized behaviour, and practice civility.
People continue to criticise the Jagdeo regime and the state apparatus for the rather clumsy manner in governing justly; and protecting civilian life and liberty. According to William Pitt, “Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it.”
In concluding, with deficient governance and compromised leadership, Guyana is viewed by the international community as an out of control and failed state.
Since a unitary regime exists management is simpler and less costly considering the small population; in comparison to other political systems.
Even as local government elections are past due, the earliest opportunity to hold such can and will introduce new dynamism in local governance. Local elections are crucial to boost political training, participation, and representation, by providing society greater opportunities to become involved in the democratic decision making process; both procedural and substantive.
At this stage national policy initiatives’ should be a guiding ideological basis for national development, political economy; and reducing economic dependence on the IFI’s.
Alaric Weithers

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