From the Diaspora...DISORDER AND DISRESPECT IN HOUSE

From the Diaspora…DISORDER AND DISRESPECT IN HOUSE

Nov 18, 2012 News

By Ralph Seeram

Back in my Primary school days, the old All Saints Anglican School in New Amsterdam, had its share of bullies. Dealing with bullies was part of the school experience; you learnt to deal with bullies. The way to deal with a bully is not to cower but meet him head on; deep down bullies are cowards, the bravado is really a front.
For my part I had my own system of dealing with bullies. I picked my battles, and I made sure the ones I picked were the ones I can win, basically that means I made sure I could beat the bully in a fight. The ones I couldn’t beat, I just had one of my bigger and stronger friends beat them up. It was as simple as that. The important thing was choosing your battles.
As you grow older you start to realize the power of money, and power itself. Used wisely you can achieve great success, misused you are doomed for failure. When I owned a store I had a customer whose name was Joe. Joe was an honest hard working guy; he did the dishes at a popular restaurant. Joe could be described as being on the lower scale of the economic ladder, living from paycheck to paycheck.
Joe and his family were involved in an auto accident and came in for a large settlement. It was probably the largest check Joe ever received in his life. At the time he was living in a rented trailer, generally considered a poor man’s house.
I am sure my readers are wondering where I am going with this story, but bear with me. So Joe came to me for some advice on how to spend his new found wealth, note spend not save, I suggested he buy a trailer cash so he can live rent free and save the rent he is paying, save some of the money and possibly buy a used car to move around, actually a car is a necessity in Florida.
I pointed out to him that he may never get another opportunity to own a home. Long story short in less than a year Joe was broke, and to top it off he was evicted from his trailer. He could not manage money; Joe fell into the same category of some athletes who made millions of dollars, but ended up broke after they stopped playing.
This brings me to the antics of the opposition APNU and AFC in showing total disrespect for Parliament. These two have been acting like bullies, and have no idea how to use their new found power. Can these two parties show the Guyanese people anything they have done constructively since they achieved majority status in the Parliament?
It’s nearly a year since the last elections. What measures have they introduced in parliament to improve the lives of the ordinary Guyanese? Banging tables and drowning out a government minister from speaking does nothing for the populace. It may satisfy their egos, but in so doing APNU and AFC are displaying their inability to use power wisely. The opposition can’t handle power.
They are picking battles that they can’t win. Does the opposition really think the PPP will be bullied to remove Home Affairs Minister Clement Rohee? If the PPP gives in to removing Rohee, where will it end? The opposition fully well knows that the PPP will not give in to its demands under these circumstances. So everything is at a standstill or so it seems.
I can’t understand this obsession with Rohee. The opposition parties have been shifting their position on why Rohee must go; they want to flex their muscles. Trouble is they picked the wrong fight.
I think the opposition is banking that the House Speaker Trotman does nothing, and so far that is true. However the time is fast approaching when Trotman will have to show if his spine is made of “tabacca stick”
What’s with the Speaker allowing this mayhem and disorder in the House? He is fully aware that he has the power to maintain order in Parliament. He does not need to try to compromise. It’s simple. He needs to have the Sergeant at Arms clear the disruptive elements and let the business of the house continue.
I tell you what, if the Speaker clears the bullies from Parliament and the PPP begins rushing through Bills, you will see how fast the opposition will return to the House in a respectful manner to avoid the ruling party passing its Bills.
Speaker Trotman is either taking sides with his old political friends, or he is being spineless. Either way he is not winning any respect. The opposition may be getting some respect from their die hard members, but what they should be wondering are they winning any new constituents; after all snap elections are just a few months away.
The PPP is not going to allow itself to be bullied or stymied; it has nothing to lose in a snap elections, and it will most certainly win back the Presidency, with a very good possibility of winning back Parliament. The recent antics of the opposition in Parliament, Linden and Agricola, are not winning them any new votes. It just makes it easier for the PPP to win the next elections.
Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: [email protected]