Where do we go from here?

Sep 13, 2013 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

It is interesting that there is a common question people ask me all the time – what is going to happen to Guyana given the current stalemate – and I ask senior politicians the exact question when I run into them. People would come up to me and inquire of my opinion as to where I think Guyana is going. It happens almost every day.
At the back of their mind is fear, the trepidation that the political impasse will lead to something unpleasant. I don’t think you can blame them for feeling this way. There is not even a modicum of activity out there that gives the Guyanese people hope that even on one item, just a single item of national importance, the opposition and government will sit around the table and there will be bits of compromise on both sides.
Speaking for myself, I think it is a logical question to ask those that are in the thick of politics, civil society activists and my media colleagues, and therefore I make the same enquiry. I get the identical answer from people, though the interpretations take different shape. But they point to one pathway – the impasse will continue and they sense something negative will result. Here is a sample of those opinions
People close to the AFC and APNU leadership think the PPP’s insecurity and paranoia will get worse, because the PPP will not accept giving concessions to both AFC and APNU. Their assessment is that given the rampant insecurity in the PPP, just one concession will cause the PPP to think of the domino effect.
I was told that it was morbid insecurity that led to the mistreatment of Ralph Ramkarran.
I was informed that Ramkarran was greeted with a barrage of condemnations with the repetitive accusation of ‘how can you write such things at a time like this?’ Simply put, PPP leaders were telling Ramkarran that he needed to be more supportive because the PPP is weak, it lost a parliamentary majority and therefore it doesn’t need one of its top leaders publicly castigating the government.
Most Guyanese, I think, accept this version of the split. It is public knowledge that Mr. Ramkarran was greeted with abuse because he was told that his open castigations were aiding “the enemy.” This is typical behaviour you find in communist and authoritarian systems. Sometimes it goes very far and deadly. There are times when the outspoken critics within a ruling communist party or in an authoritarian system can come to harm for speaking out.
Almost all of the people in politics, civil society and the media that I chat with on the state of affairs in Guyana, feel that the PPP will not dialogue with the opposition on anything, and their conclusion is that Guyana will just drift along and keep drifting or that some vexed issue will galvanize the opposition into some kind of demonstrative action.
Everyone that I have spoken with insist that Mr. Ramotar will not emerge as his own man and define his legacy. This I think is a development that Mr. Ramotar should think about. I say most unambiguously, from leading politicians in both AFC and APNU to prominent businessmen to academics, commentators, civil society activists and the media community, the solid opinion is that there will not emerge in the government, a president that will take bold, innovative initiatives that will win him national admiration and endorsement.
There are folks out there that believe Mr. Ramotar is happy with the PPP’s attitude to the AFC and APNU and will join his colleagues in resisting inclusive politics. There is also the opinion that I got from people in the know who feel that the PPP wants to hold elections to win back Parliament and then open the door for Mr. Jagdeo’s return to high politics. This sounds plausible and indeed it is an opinion shared by the average citizen.
I must say that among APNU and AFC activists, there is also the contrary view that the PPP executives don’t want elections because they are uncertain of the outcome. They believe it is a risk that the PPP is not willing to take and they cite the Ramkarran factor. The consensus is that the PPP will get hurt at the poll if Ramkarran gets active.
We can conclude by saying there isn’t one person, not one person, who believes that political progress is on the horizon. It is depressing news, but I believe as a commentator I should share the vibes that come from the society with my readers. But life is full of unexpected events that change the course of history.

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Where do we go from here?

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