Practicing the politics of principle

Jul 15, 2013 Letters

Dear Editor,
We believe that respect should be given to the Leader of the Alliance for Change (AFC) Khemraj Ramjattan for practicing the politics of principle and consistency.
In its first elections campaign in 2006, the AFC took a principled position on the issue of money laundering, corruption, and the danger the drug lords had posed to the Guyanese society. As Mr. Ramjattan said then, the AFC [leaders] “were told if they had shut their mouths on the issues (money laundering, corruption) they would have received more votes, but the party took the principled stand and now had been vindicated.”
In the 2006 campaign, the AFC fought on a political platform against corruption, dirty money and its covert support in Government. Thousands of voters agreed, resulting in the AFC making political history, winning some five seats.
Ramjattan continued his campaign against money laundering and corruption as demonstrated in one of his many public rebukes of the PPP on their weak stance against money laundering as quoted in a KN article dated September 8th, 2011 captioned “Government double standards on Wikileaks convenient – Ramjattan.” That article revealed Mr. Ramjattan’s commitment to putting systems in place to “detect dirty money” and punish the money launderers.
So to hear all these PPP “Johnny-come-lately” on the topic of money laundering is a big joke. However, all are welcomed in Ramjattan’s lifelong struggle against graft and corruption and for transparency and good governance.
Too many senior Government officials have a history of turning a blind eye to the many instances of money laundering. Further, it is this PPP regime that has rendered the Financial Intelligence Unit impotent and they are so foolish they think the international community is blind to their transgressions and will believe them today.
We thank Mr. Ramjattan for exposing these dilettantes for whom they really are—political amateurs. Let’s see how they manage as the chips fall.
What was more discerning was the disingenuousness of the Private Sector Commission (PSC), who the cabal can ever so often rely on to shower praise on them, but not rebuke them for their lack of action on the Public Procurement Commission, the Office of the Ombudsman, Police Reform and Mr. Ramotar’s refusal to assent the two Bills passed by Parliament etc. There is only one word to describe such action – duplicity.
It is time the PSC establishes its credentials as an impartial body that represents its members’ interest. A Public Procurement Commission will weed billions of dollars of graft out of the procurement process, resulting in more work being done with less money, thus leaving much more for those in need. A Procurement Commission will create the necessary space for the private sector to blossom and to crowd out runaway public sector spending. After all, wasn’t it the private sector that was supposed to be the engine of growth? Or was that another empty promise?
Dr. Asquith Rose and Harish S. Singh

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