Jagdeo should beware of his boasts

Sep 04, 2010 Editorial

Every country fears sanctions. There is no country that can honestly state that it is not worried about what others think or what they do. Cuba is perhaps the only country in the world that is facing a perpetual sanction.
The United States imposed a blockade on that country for more than fifty years and while the Caribbean country has friends and other trading partners the blockade has had a horrific effect on it.
Fidel Castro had once voiced his opinion of the United States in the same manner that President Bharrat Jagdeo is doing today.
In countries where the leaders seem to be ignoring the plight of a significant section of the population there are those from that country who take their concerns to foreign leaders and decision makers.
Guyana has not been exempt from this course of action. In the pre-1992 era, the political opposition campaigned all over the world, but more particularly in the United States, for changes to what was then seen as dictatorial practices.
Dr Cheddi Jagan and other members of the People’s Progressive Party lobbied extensively for years. They sought out every ear and it was only a matter of time before the United States, which still sees itself as the policeman of the world, took notice and decided to act.
The major contention was that a minority was ruling a majority through fraudulent means. There were charges of oppression and discrimination. In the end the Carter Centre came and caused a change in the situation. It was that change that saw the PPP coming to power and remaining to this day.
It was the same in Iraq. Saddam Hussein was seen as a tyrant who summarily executed all who opposed him. One of his sons-in-law did not escape his wrath and paid the ultimate penalty.
In the end the United States intervened. The invading forces arrested Saddam Hussein and after a trial of sorts, hanged him like a common criminal. That there is still a lot of violence in Iraq, mostly by people who supported the now dead Hussein, does not detract from the fact that it only takes time for the world community to listen to the voices of those who claim to be oppressed.
Local politicians are grossly dissatisfied with what passes for administration in Guyana. They have been questioning many things, including the way the administration spends money on projects often not seen as being in the best interest of the wider society.
They attempted to use the highest forum in the land to get answers but kept failing because the ruling party holds the parliamentary majority and would shoot down anything that appears to be critical of its administration. Even simple things that smack of a hint of criticism are ignored.
The result is that the opposition parliamentarians are seeking sympathetic ears abroad. Last year, the Alliance For Chance placed large advertisements in a Trinidad newspaper highlighting the ills in Guyana.
This past fortnight, its leaders travelled to the United States to further highlight the perceived ills in the society. They spoke with people who have access to the ears of the power brokers then returned to announce the campaign.
It is here that one sees a level of braggadocio from President Bharrat Jagdeo. Indeed he is angry. No government likes to be criticized and likes even less the thought that others are being invited to criticize it. President Jagdeo blurts out that he does not care about the sentiments expressed by the United States, that that country does not run Guyana.
The unfortunate thing is that President Jagdeo has made similar sentiments in the past and must be buoyed by the fact that there has been no reaction to his sentiments.
Indeed, Guyana is a small country and the United States has far more pressing interests on which to focus at this time. But it must not be forgotten that it could be distracted and take some action. It has already been known to impose sanctions on government functionaries by denying them

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