ALLIANCES, COALITION AND SHARED GOVERNANCE

Jul 11, 2010 APNU Column, Features / Columnists

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FOCUS ON POLITICAL PROGRAMME

 

The PNCR position on ALLIANCES, COALITION AND SHARED GOVERNANCE has been well ventilated, particularly, in the 2004 Congress Address and in its position papers on Shared Governance, all of which are available for reading on the Party’s web site.

Any alliance or coalition must, therefore, of necessity be welded by a common desire to take Guyana forward on an agreed platform that can guarantee justice and development for its entire people.

It cannot be based merely on a desire for political power and to replace the current repressive regime.

The discussion cannot merely be focused on the Presidency, but on the programmes to be implemented.

Issues, such as implementing the Constitutional requirements, that would allow for the effective functioning of Parliament, respectful political interface, successful collaboration between public and private sector organisations, effective co-operation between our many different races and participation and involvement of civil society organisations in the tasks of building ONE GUYANA, are essential.

 

The sordid performance of the PPP and the state of Guyana have primarily motivated the positive responses to calls for alliance, coalition and shared governance. The PPP/C Administration has steadfastly refused to respond coherently to the most basic requirements for completing the Constitutional Reforms agreed since 2000.

They refuse to recognize that they have chosen a path, which can only lead to further decay and destruction. The President and the Government cannot see that unless Guyana truly belongs to all Guyanese, the country can never gain international respectability. The uniting of our many peoples is a pre-condition for achieving peace and national cohesion.

It is in this context that, in 2004, the PNCR declared its commitment to build and strengthen alliances with those who, like us, also see brighter horizons and are willing to struggle for a more disciplined, orderly, productive and prosperous Guyana.

A country in which all citizens, irrespective of race, religion and political persuasion can be freed from the threat of unchecked crime, can utilize public services without paying bribes, can tender for contracts knowing that awards will be made solely on merit, and can be guaranteed that their children will receive a sound education.

It is a task that must, of necessity, involve all Guyanese; not the PNCR alone or the PPP/C to the exclusion of all others. Our national poet, Martin Carter, puts it appropriately in one of his well known poems, “all are involved, all are consumed”.

 

Any alliance must, therefore, include a plan for political action that defines the principles and outlines the programmes that guide the leaders and people: not a mere list of promises but a solemn commitment and a set of standards and goals to which the participants will commit themselves.

The rights and aspirations of all must be respected, protected and enforced since they are the foundations of a stable society. Justice must be applied in the manner in which contracts are awarded; in the manner in which people are employed in the public and private sectors; in the manner in which social services are provided; in the distribution of welfare for the needy; in the provision of support for the disadvantaged; in the manner in which house lots are distributed; and, in the manner in which communities are identified for developmental works.

There must also be guarantees for the security of our citizens. No country today can hope to prosper unless it utilizes to the fullest, the physical, intellectual and creative skills of all of its citizens, in a shared vision, to realize its maximum potential.

National Cohesion has to include taking seriously on board and addressing the concerns of every ethnic or interest group and we must be prepared to discuss these issues frankly with each other.

 

The PNCR’s recognizes that while we desire to change the system of Governance, we cannot adopt a dogmatic position that we have all the answers. We must of necessity be prepared to meet with all stakeholders around the table and fashion a mutually agreeable national programme that addresses the concerns of all, albeit we have already made public our programme for development and modernization of Guyana in our Manifesto. The Central Executive Committee of the PNCR recently reaffirmed the decision of its 2004 Biennial Congress to develop a working understanding with any political party, any political organization, any social organization, and any nongovernmental organization; any members or groups, even from within the People’s Progressive Party, who are willing to negotiate, in good faith, the details of a platform for the transformation of the country without precondition.

 

Any alliance or coalition should undertake to negotiate and implement, with all the economic stakeholders in our country, a consensual Economic Policy Framework that is based on the maximum participation and support of all stakeholder groups and which addresses the overall developmental and growth prospects, in a holistic and realistic way. The Party has long expressed the conviction that the National Development Strategy document provides an excellent model.

An Alliance or coalition must also set out, in clear and unmistakable terms; a realistic platform which defines how we will reform the way Guyana is governed to make our political landscape more inclusive, and more responsive to the needs of all sections and groupings of Guyanese.

It must result in a government that is as broad-based as possible and that is flexible enough to bring on board all ideas, all realistic proposals, all patriotic elements and all who are willing to work for a better Guyana.

 

The PNCR made it clear, since 2002, that we stand ready and committed to a platform of Shared Governance and Inclusivity; that we are willing to share Executive Authority and to explore and negotiate imaginative forms of governance and reform of our national, regional and local governments to ensure that the goal of full inclusivity is realized.

Assuming that the National Development strategy is accepted, as a starting point, we cannot escape the compelling recommendations in Chapter 3, Governance. Indeed the proposals suggest that a prerequisite for success is a change in the system of Governance.

It is quite obvious that there is a compelling case for Shared Governance, though it is also recognized that it cannot be imposed but has to be mutually accepted.

The PNCR, therefore, hopes that the debate and discussion would continue, eventually leading to decisions on how the important and needed constitutional and political reforms and the economic programme would be implemented, as well as the time frame for such implementation.

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