One can only be blunt when they are on the side of righteousness

Dec 13, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
This being my last letter to the Press for the year 2010, I want to take this opportunity to wish all our people the best of health, mental strength and happiness. Enjoy and resolve yourself to working even harder in 2011 to free our nation from the corrupt, unjust and unrighteous forces suppressing progress in Guyana.
I was drawn to the Washington Post blog captioned, “at Cancun blunt talk”.  Blunt talk it was, but one can only be blunt when they are on the side of righteousness. What I know with absolute certainty is, neither Arthur Chung nor Forbes Burnham nor Desmond Hoyte nor Cheddi Jagan nor Janet Jagan would have been caught publicly making such an irresponsible public statement like “We’ve delivered the results and then someone is telling us how we have to spend our money too”.
Permit me to assure the Guyanese public that the last time I checked this money belongs to the taxpayers of Norway. This Norwegian money will only be released and transferred to Guyana upon verified results being certified by the World Bank. My colleague in the World Bank has advised me that the verification of the data is still a work in process.
The World Bank went further to tell us that the Steering Committee is still to request the funds. President Jagdeo is very economical with the truth, since the Steering Committee is chaired by the Government of Guyana. So why “cuss” the World Bank. The world is not New Garden Street where one can “cuss” and preferential treatment is granted out of fear.
It is a well known fact in the international donor community that many key people have serious issues with the transparency and accountability of the Jagdeo regime. Thus it is not surprising that the World Bank is working towards a risk free transaction where all of the systems are 100% in place to preserve full accountability of the funds before disbursement commences. The people have to do what they have to do based on the financial history they have with the Jagdeo regime. Believe you me the regime track record on financial accountability is appalling.
This crass attitude of begging for other people’s money and then cuss the donor on top of the begging is a sharp digression from the Guyanese traditions and honour system. This is tantamount to biting the hands that feed him. It is most ungrateful. The foreparents of most Guyanese never indulged is such low class attitude so why this determined attempt to set this precedence. This present dispensation is way below the minimum standards set by our worst predecessor. International forums are not Mahaica Market.
The Presidency of Guyana is just a speck on the global scene and because of this fact the office holder must use diplomatic excellence to enhance their place at the negotiation table. A “cuss out” is leadership 101 in how not to make friends and get help.
A President should not burn bridges, since no one but the people suffer. People should be fair and acknowledge that with such an abysmal track record on human rights, crime, the drug fight, corruption, racial discrimination, respect for the rule of law and most importantly moral fortitude, the Jagdeo regime is no authority to provide certification that the money will be spent in the agreed manner.
It is clear as crystal that the international community has serious issues with the credibility of Jagdeo regime especially around the issue of transparent use of grant funds.
Just ask Mr. Prakash Ramjattan who has been bombarded with a lot of these positions since he is now seen as the only leader who can save Guyana.
Words to the effect “liability to Guyana” and “one big joke” are constantly being bandies about to describe the regime.  I suspect the Wikileak document will be more forthcoming with the facts on how the international community feels about the regime.
Why are we paying the scores of advisors in New Garden Street? They should be educating the office bearer to become an ambassador of the Guyanese people.
Every word used must be chosen carefully and measured before it is used. There is no room for noise at that level, but strong diplomatic terms if a wrong has taken place.
Norway was very clear that their taxpayers’ money will only be spent when their taxpayers are fully satisfied with the transparency and accountability of the systems to spend the funds. That assurance is not in place as yet.
President Jagdeo was loud and unduly aggressive. Do you not realise that the Norwegian Leader will be washing his hand of you indefinitely; but more importantly he will be washing his hand of Guyana after the US$250 million? Our next President is now saddled with a liability for his Presidential life because of you. Norway is a rich country and they could have helped us even beyond the promised US$250 million.
Once can clearly understand the source of the frustration since as the longest serving President of the PPP, there is limited deliverables to show for the tenure which is swiftly coming to an end.
It is time to move on, time to move on to Prakash Ramjattan and the AFC for them to rebuild Guyana and its image.
As a Guyanese, I hang my head in shame as I wonder, are we any better-off today under an elected dictatorship as compared to the Hoyte era?
Remember how we felt as a people when Venezuela and Suriname coveted pieces of our land as their own. Can you image how the Norwegian taxpayers must be feeling to know that they are being gratuitous and yet they have to receive cuss for their own thing?
Sasenarine Singh

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