TIME FOR A GOOD MAN TO BECOME A STRONG LEADER

Sep 26, 2013 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Good systems are needed in every country. But could good systems prevent the malfeasance that has taken place in relation to the construction of the Marriott Hotel Project, the Berbice River Bridge and in relation to the contract of the proposed Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project?
What system could have prevented a government- any government- from injecting over 90% of the total investment in the Berbice River Bridge and then turn around and vest control of the bridge company to minority shareholders who collectively have put no more than 10% of the overall investment?
What system could have also prevented the government from deciding to forfeit dividends from the bridge company so that these minority shareholders can have all the profits that accrued?
What system could have prevented that elaborate scheme that was crafted, and administered by NICIL which will virtually see the same thing happening with the Marriott Hotel and the Amaila Falls Hydroelectric Project?
There is no system that would have prevented these things from happening? So what then are the democratic safeguards that could guard against these actions of malfeasance?
One safeguard is the wrath of public opinion which can be galvanized against a government which practices malfeasance, which is the abuse of lawful power. All the things that the PPPC has so far done in relation to the above three named projects have been done under a cloak of legality. Thus, at this stage there can be no accusations of malfeasance in relation to the decision to hand over controlling interest in all three of these projects to minority shareholders or for that matter in relation to waiving dividends and interest payments in any of them.
But these decisions can be deemed as acts of malfeasance- the abuse of lawful power.  The right to make certain decisions has been abused in order to hand control of national assets into the hands of private individuals and companies.
The fear of the wrath of public opinion was one safeguard that could have prevented such abuse. Unfortunately, because of the ethnic security dilemma in Guyana, the PPPC  is confident- supremely so – that it can spin criticisms of what has happened in relation to these major projects and can turn a fair portion of public opinion against those making the criticisms and also retain the loyalty of its political base.
Therefore, it does feel compelled to act otherwise in the face of negative public opinion.
So what then can be done to reverse what has taken place? If there are no systems that can help in this process, on what or who is the public to rely on to ensure that the process of national development will not end up bleeding Guyana of its wealth  so as to enrich friends and cronies?
The answer is good men and good women. There are good men and women within the system. Good men and women have always made a difference.
Study all great swings in human history and you will find that behind every one of them were individuals who decided that enough was enough and provided leadership. Good men and good women have always made a difference and good systems are inevitably the product of the leadership of these individuals.
Donald Ramotar is a good man. Let there be no disputing this fact. He is however allowing himself to become weak by deferring too much to those around him. He has to lead and lead with authority, strength and purposefulness because in Guyana no President can afford to otherwise.
Even if Donald Ramotar does not care about a legacy; even if his own modesty does not permit him to boast about what his plans are; even if he has no intention of leaving his own brand on the presidency and is prepared to simply ensure that the country moves forward economically, he has an obligation to the party that he has served for more than forty years and which has allowed him to reach where he is.
Donald Ramotar is a good man. He is an honest man. He is a decent man and he must recognize that right now he is facing a situation where he is reigning over the loss of support at the elections by his party. Unless he acts firmly in relation to the major projects conceived under the Jagdeo administration he will also end up being blamed for the loss of political power by the PPP come the next elections.
He does not want such a scenario to haunt his retirement, whenever that time comes. Therefore, he needs to act now to save his party and his country from the opposite of eminent domain.
The term eminent domain refers to the process of taking property for the State from private sources. What is happening in Guyana is the opposite, wealth of moving in the opposite direction through the three projects mentioned above. Donald must stop this.
Donald is a good man. But is he strong enough? And does he have what it takes to prevent the PPP from going back to being an opposition party?
(To be continued)

 

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