WHEN DECENT MEN COME TOGETHER

Sep 07, 2012 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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What Guyana needs at this stage is political maturity. Such maturity is associated with level headedness and this is what the country needs.
There have been many criticisms of the fact that the PPP chose someone to lead the government who was never part of any of their previous administrations. There were also ripples of discontent within the PNCR because of their decision to have someone as their Presidential Candidate, who was not part of the leadership of the PNC.
Both Mr. Ramotar and Mr. Granger are, however, not newcomers to politics. Ramotar may be more politically seasoned but Mr. Granger also has years under his belt of observing politics and working with politicians.
They may not have the experience of working as government ministers but they have accumulated years of wisdom from observing and being part of political developments in Guyana- Mr. Granger as a historian and Mr. Ramotar as the General Secretary of the oldest existing political party in Guyana.
No one can deny that both men have the interests of Guyana at heart. A lot of unkind things have been said of both of them. But place their critics in their shoes and perhaps those critics would be paralyzed when it comes to doing the things that they have done so far. Both men, given the unprecedented situation that developed after the last elections, have taken bold and matured initiatives which have placed the interests of the country foremost.
They may not be bosom buddies; they may even have serious differences.  But they have been able to work together on a number of occasions and have achieved positive outcomes every time they have met.  This says something about their personalities and how well they get away from the camera.
This may have also to do with the fact that they are both over sixty and have the foresight and understanding that can often be lacking amongst the younger and more impetuous leaders.
In the process of working together, both men have been criticized by persons within their camp. Both have come under pressure to move in certain directions when perhaps better sense would dictate otherwise.
These are the practical realities of politics. Politicians cannot ignore certain interests and therefore sometimes they have to act in those interests and thus not always see eye to eye with one another.
Each has criticized the other’s actions. This too is all part of the political process. But these are big men and they will want to leave some legacy behind for which they can be remembered in a positive light. This is not an ego thing. Both men care for Guyana and want to see Guyana move forward, and they want to be part of that process.
But as politicians they may have a different understanding as to how this can be done. This understanding may be influenced by the different interests that they hold.
There is, however, no reason why as matured men they cannot sit for a few days in some quiet resort outside of Guyana and just try to get to know each other better.
There are now term limits in Guyana for the President. Term limits will eventually become part of the leadership process within political parties.
When these men leave political office perhaps one day they will encounter each other in the street and stop and have a chat. They may then ask themselves why they could not do this when they were politicians.
There is nothing that is preventing these two matured men from meeting and trying to find a way in which they can work for the good of Guyana.
More bitter enemies have done this and are doing this. In South Africa, Mandela even when he was in prison sat down and spoke to his arch rival, De Clerk. A meeting is soon to be held in Norway and one later in Cuba between the FARC rebels and the Colombian government, both of whom are bitter rivals.
If these staunch enemies can sit down and meet why is it that now that we have two elderly statesmen in Guyana, Mr. Granger and Mr. Ramotar, that they too cannot sit down together away from the cameras and intrusiveness and just be two human beings having a friendly chat.
Why is it that the men and their families cannot spend a weekend together simply getting to know one another as human beings rather than as politicians? Why cannot they have each other over for a quite dinner or breakfast?
Is that too much to ask? Or are the radicals within their respective parties going to hang them out to dry if they each dared to cultivate a friendship with each other.
Life is short and most politicians are not happy with having antagonistic relationships.  When they meet in private they do exchange well-meaning pleasantries, however brief or fleeting.
It is time that those pleasantries become more prolonged. In both Mr. Ramotar and Mr. Granger there is a great chance of this happening. In their favor is the fact that they have a great deal in common.
They are both elderly men. They both are matured. They both are decent men who are seen as incorruptible. They both will most likely accept that their political shelf-life is limited. They will eventually have to give way for others to take over.
In the meantime, the nation needs a breather from the political bitterness of pulling and tugging. Both men can give Guyana this breather. Will they?

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