Will the Govt. and Opposition ever be able to accept constructive criticism in our national interest?

Dec 15, 2012 Letters

---

 

 

Dear Editor,
It is often said: “Politics is a dirty game.” This is true the world over. I am not a career politician; in fact, I’m not a politician at all. But my love of country causes me at times to express my opinion as a patriotic Guyanese, and this often puts me at odds with even close friends.
Politics in Guyana is so dirty, one can no longer ‘call a spade a spade’ without offending supporters of one political party or another. As the Roman tribune Messala warned Judah Ben-Hur in the epic movie classic Ben-Hur: “You’re either for me or against me.” So it is with politics in Guyana. If this attitude continues, politicians will never compromise for the good of our country, and government will find it increasingly difficult to reach a consensus on important policy issues with the opposition.
If a member of the opposition is supportive of a policy decision or a project proposed by the government, s/he cannot show their support for fear of being treated as an outcast by their own party. Is this the best way to serve our country? Is this honouring the oath politicians take as law makers and protectors of our constitution? Will the government and opposition parties ever be able to accept constructive criticism in our national interest?
In my last letter, “The onus is on President Ramotar to right this injustice and avoid tarnishing his reputation”, I dared to express my opinion on what I still consider to be the unfair distribution of radio licences by the then Jagdeo Administration. Had Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop not been a recipient, this may not have been an issue.
On the day my letter was published, I received several phone calls from prominent Guyanese, some suggesting I had not done my research on the subject, while others argued that Dr. Ramroop was given a licence as a result of a court order. A few, however, applauded me for having the courage to denounce what many believe to be an injustice.
The way I see it, the PPP/C Administration has a habit of shooting themselves in the foot. They’re often accused of corruption and cronyism. And while the joint opposition had opportunities in seven nationally televised debates to produce hard evidence of corruption, they failed miserably to do so. Yet the accusation continues. The same can be said of cronyism.
Dr. Ranjisinghi ‘Bobby’ Ramroop is a highly controversial person in Guyana. He is a target of the opposition for what is perceived to be the preferential treatment he gets in obtaining very lucrative pharmaceutical contracts due to his close friendship with the former President, Bharrat Jagdeo. Although he may have well earned the rights to those contracts, it is the perception of cronyism that stands out like a sore thumb. Like it or not, perception matters when a country is as divided as ours.
Dr. Ramroop bought over VCT 28 television station that was once owned by Anthony ‘Tony’ Vieira and now operated as TVG. Along with the purchase, Dr. Ramroop inherited a court order in favour of ‘Tony’ Vieira that would allow VCT 28 to legally operate a radio station. Considering the court order was never executed prior to the sale of VCT 28, and the new owner, Dr. Ramroop had changed the name of the television station to TVG, a grey area does exist to warrant some concern of legitimacy.
President Jagdeo must have known that when the announcement of the recipients of radio licences was published, all hell would break loose.
He could have avoided the perception of cronyism by approving radio licences to both legitimate media houses: Kaieteur News and Stabroek News that had applications pending a very long time, but took a deliberate decision not to do so. This feeds the perception of cronyism, as Dr. Ramroop happens to be his close friend. It also feeds the perception that Kaieteur News and to a lesser extent Stabroek News were being victimized for being so outspoken and critical against the PPP/C Administration.
To be fair, the independent media play an important role in keeping the government accountable. And despite the obvious bias in the reporting at times, they have both demonstrated a fairly high level of accountability and professionalism. So why deny them the same opportunity given to ‘Bobby’ Ramroop? Clearly, the stringent regulations that will be enforced to monitor content of these radio stations should be adequate to keep dissenting voices in check. As so often happens with the press, slander on the airwaves other than internet radios, are subject to lawsuits.
Despite the obvious opposition, President Ramotar must be credited for bringing a fair amount of transparency to a once ‘cloak and dagger’ administration. Of equal importance, is the need for him to listen to that ‘voice of reason’ within his inner circle. A President needs good, solid advice in order to make informed decisions. Guyana needs strong leadership to unite our main ethnicities and to keep the economy growing in peace and tranquility. The PPP/C Administration can ill afford to do anything that will be perceived by the opposition as corruption or cronyism. The time, effort and resources that are usually required to counter these charges, can be best spent fulfilling a campaign pledge of a better Guyana for all.
“Cherish the friend who tells you a harsh truth, wanting ten times more to tell you a loving lie.”
Harry Gill   

---

---