The Guyanese money men and the betrayal of their country

Oct 23, 2013 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

I can hardly think of anything in recent months both in Guyana and the world, and I say the world, even though I was revolted at the Tea Party’s madness in the shutdown of the US Government, than the shamelessly unprincipled behaviour of the Private Sector Commission (PSC).
The PSC ran a full page advertisement that irresponsibly called upon the opposition to pass the Anti-Money Laundering Bill in whatever form. Let’s quote the very last line of this unpatriotic, infamous advertisement; “the private sector urges Parliament to approve the measure in whatever form…”
This egregious advocacy was followed by another full page placement, this time by the Insurance Association of Guyana. Here is the most offensive section of this advertisement; “Member companies urge …our Parliament that this is an issue of national emergency that takes precedence over any domestic or national issue.”
This second advocacy seems to be more sickening and barefaced than the first.
Here is my advice to the opposition parties. Take a section of last Sunday’s interview by Fareed Zakaria with the President of Chile and demand that the individual units of the insurance body read it.
Asked by Zakaria how Chile came out of its bad past to achieve the distinction of being the best economy in Latin America, he stressed that democracy and freedom were indispensable features in Chile’s development thrust.
What the PSC and the insurance companies are saying is so sickening that it tortures the mind to repeat it. It is best to offer an analogy. A village is without a police chief. The village council identifies a candidate but he is a rogue with a sordid past of sexual harassment and bribe-taking.
Up comes the poultry association and demands that the candidate be employed because it is losing fowls to thieves. In plain language what the poultry association is saying is that it doesn’t care how flawed the candidate is and how obsessed he is with harassing women and taking bribes, the village must have a police chief. It is only concerned with its narrow interest.
The identical argument applies to the PSC and the insurance companies. Democracy and freedom are lesser values on the national agenda; Guyana’s business climate is more important. Now here is the biggest flaw in the anti-money laundering legislation that the business folks are aware of, but have no nationalist blood in their veins to care about.
Who is going to watch the watchman? Who is to select the anti-corruption tsar who will investigate the laundering of drug money and other ill-gotten finance in Guyana?
Surely, it cannot be the friend of the traffickers and launderers themselves. This is where the disgust with the request of the money people lies. These people don’t even have the decency to show an ounce of nationalism by calling on the parliamentary parties to offer compromise and concessions. This was the first thought that came out of the mouth of President Obama after the shutdown was lifted.
The Obama words are the words of a nationalist. He is not the only politician to think this way. They are all over the world. When adversaries in a Parliament are strong, you save the nation by give and take. What the Guyanese money men have done and are doing is reducing themselves to cheap profit-seekers.
I can well imagine in many developed societies, radically partisan commentators would call them political whores. The opposition parties must have lost respect for them since the 2011 election results.
If you examine the utterances of the money men, they are just not interested in acting as go-betweens to save Guyana. They just parrot what they are instructed to do and they do so willingly.
But more importantly, why do the money people think the AFC and APNU leaders are that stupid to win a parliamentary majority and hand it over to the PPP? Is this the way the money people behave with their profits?
Why do the money people believe that APNU and the AFC can deliver to the PPP whatever the PPP requests of them? Didn’t the AFC suffer a little bruising when one of their Berbice stars, Charrandas Persaud, resigned because he said he is not being consulted by policy changes in the AFC? Didn’t the AFC experience some fallout when some of their stalwarts in the diaspora rebelled over the Amaila Hydro affair?
Didn’t Dr. David Hinds publicly award APNU an F grade for poor post-electoral performance? Don’t APNU and AFC have to consult their constituencies? Can’t the money men demand that the President sign the local government Bills? They need to.

Latest News

The Guyanese money men and the betrayal of their country

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| April, 14th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Beckford brace Slingerz to fourth win on the trot, as Santos topple...

West Indies Women’s World Cup hopes in jeopardy...

GCC, Ogle, East Bank among winners as Demerara...

Unbeaten GCA storm to 2025 title

Tucber Park Cricket Club receives cricket gear...

Young guns flourish at Moo! National Junior’s...

Features/Columnists

Of Silk and Steel

Collaborative Government–Private Sector Action Imperative for a Resilient Trade Future

Rogue cops – only a few around

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

The Guyanese money men and the betrayal of their country

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| April, 14th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]