Need for new parliamentary convention to depoliticise the presidency

Dec 08, 2011 Letters

Dear Editor,
There is urgent need at this point in time for a new Parliamentary Convention to depoliticise the Presidency. Under such a Convention, which could be established by the agreement of all Parliamentary Parties, at the moment of swearing-in a President forswears identification with any political party.
He becomes the good shepherd of the whole nation, tending to all his flock with equal care. He looks among his flock and chooses a handful of the best to assist him with his arduous responsibilities.
According to the media, President Ramotar upon taking his oath did say he will be president for the whole nation and he also decried the presence of pettiness among the parties in parliament.
But his very first act as President beclouded his words and displayed a certain quantum of pettiness, for in the choice of his ministers he was unable to see the larger picture and stuck to that smaller segment of the populace that voted for him.
He could not lift up his eyes and look upon that larger segment that contains men and women of excellent qualities whose contribution could have been invaluable to the development of this nation. As it is, he took mostly his old comrades, and it is no secret that many people already think poorly of some of them.
If he took that decision on his own as President he simply did not remember that he is president of the whole nation. If the decision was taken by the Central and/or Executive Committees of his Party, then his Presidency is subordinate to the Party which is paramount.
With that Convention in place a President becomes non-political, a suave and respected person, governing with decorum and dignity, and remains so to the end.
The party that first sponsored him could do so again simply because they think he is the best person to be President.
But if they sponsor a President because they want to use his powers to give themselves cushy jobs and live a sweet life, they are not interested in the welfare of the nation.
Under that convention, a President could not select a successor, because in a subtle way that is breaching the provision against a President serving more than two terms.
He could not abandon government and go campaigning for more than six weeks all over the country in circumstances that caused a great many people to think he was shamelessly using the resources of the State to help his hand-picked successor.
A President must be noble, he must be a statesman, he must be dignified, and at all times he must be vigilant to protect the State and its assets and resources.
I think President Ramotar has set out on the wrong foot, but he has just begun and he could change.
He must now realise that the Presidency is the highest institution in the land, above party and everything else, and he must replace loyalty to his comrades with loyalty to the whole nation.
He has a better chance now than any other president before him to make this nation whole.
For the first time a President of Guyana heads a minority government. Parliament is controlled by others. He has to live good with Parliament if he wants his government to endure.
If in the selection of his ministers he had looked across the political divide he would have seen that in his interest and that of the nation, the best person in the country at this time to be Prime Minister is David Granger.
There was no need for any formal coalition agreement, though of course there would have had to be some negotiations. Offer him the job and if he accepts he will be heading the legislative program in Parliament. He will get the laws passed.
Khemraj Ramjattan as Attorney General would get the laws drafted and Raphael Trotman at Home Affairs will work on law enforcement and crime.
Minority Executive President Ramotar would then have had a beautiful relationship with those that control the legislature, and could one expect something better for Guyana at this time?
But President Ramotar has set his foot upon the old path, no doubt propelled by old loyalties, and maybe as yet he is unable to take strong, independent decisions. And we in Guyana look on with dread for we fear.
Kumar D. Doobay

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Need for new parliamentary convention to depoliticise the presidency

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