The tenth parliament or the failed parliament?

Oct 25, 2012 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

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In philosophy there is a school of thought that goes back to the 18th century but it was the 20th century radical French thinker of post-war Europe, Jean Paul Sartre, who popularized the role of existentialism in modern philosophy.
After Sartre, existentialism came out of the cloistered corners of academia and into the world of journalism, politics and popular debate. It was now common to find ordinary folks making reference to things existentialist.
According to existentialist thought, we humans are responsible for our own action and not God. We consciously decide the situation we enter into. In existentialist thinking, we choose of our own volition, the life we live. In Guyana, the leaders in the PNC and AFC chose to enter parliamentary politics on their own accord and not by coercion. They then have an obligation to do the things for their country that they consciously set out to do.
A trade unionist, a university professor, a lawyer, doctor and others have a right to criticize their parliamentarians for non-performance and the parliamentarians cannot accuse them of non-involvement because they, the parliamentarians, opted for leadership roles.
If you know that you cannot devote full time attention to the struggle for justice then why did you go into Parliament? You chose that route and you have to know it carries obligations. The long recess of Parliament was inexcusable for the opposition that promised their voters that they will use their success to roll back a mountain of authoritarian policies inherited from the Jagdeo reign.
If the country was reeling from autocratic governance as the opposition described it in the election campaign, then surely all space and time had to be used to free the country from the tyranny that the opposition said Mr. Jagdeo created.
A two-month recess was vulgar but even more deplorable is the non-achievement of the 10th Parliament so far. If there is any beneficiary of the 10th Parliament it is the wife of the Finance Minister.
A parliamentary committee reappointed her to the Auditor-General’s office in a vote that saw APNU’s Carl Greenidge taking advice from Gail Teixieira that he, Greenidge as chairman of the committee could not vote. The AFC’s Trevor Williams was in Essequibo and couldn’t be present. The nation has learnt that Parliament cannot cancel Mrs. Singh’s reconfirmation.
We are approaching a year of the 10th Parliament. The PPP has chalked up two victories; the opposition has none. But more than this, the opposition is being made to look stupid in Parliament by the minority government.
The Executive refused to abide by two motions of the House—one that expressed no-confidence in Rohee, and the Police Commissioner’s blatant rejection of the motion that called for the removal of the barricades around Parliament.
On Monday when the barricades went up, not one MP from the opposition went outside to talk to the police officers. This columnist had no support from opposition MPs as he sought to get the barriers removed
Mr. Christopher Ram and a Stabroek News editorial have been harsh on the opposition for their failures in the 10th Parliament.
They have hit back but cannot do what they have criticized the Government for not doing. They cannot state the facts for the nation to examine.
This columnist has nothing good to say about the opposition’s performance in the 10th Parliament because a particular irony exists in his life.
My contract was terminated at UG with Ms. Gail Teixieira leading the charge for my removal from UG. This same Teixeira offered Carl Greenidge advice on his voting rights which he accepted and Mrs. Ashni Singh got her contract renewed.
The irony is that I campaigned in the last general election in which the opposition captured the 10th Parliament.
After Mr. Ralph Ramkarran resigned from the PPP, this writer took the position that the intended snap poll desire of the PPP was put on the backburner. Circumstances have changed considerably in the PPP’s favour.
This columnist believes that if a snap election is called the PPP will take Parliament. It has nothing to do with Agricola.
The disappointment with the opposition is immense.
The statistical reality will see a preservation of PPP voters but a precipitous decline in opposition votes. The reason is that substantial numbers from the opposition constituencies will not vote. Over a hundred thousand registered citizens did not vote in 2011.
We don’t know why but we must put into the equation, the role of cynicism among opposition voters. Also 2011 saw a mere four percent increase in the Georgetown turnout. The 10th Parliament is a failure.

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