Optimism and assumptions

Jan 07, 2014 Editorial

In his New Year’s Day message, President Ramotar reminded us that life is short, and we should not waste time on pettiness but focus our energy towards the betterment of our people.
“I hope that in the New Year we can get some cooperation from our colleagues on the other side of the house to move our country forward. If the government is to be held accountable for the performance of our economy, we reserve the right to be responsible for its developmental trajectory.”
It is good that the President realises that the full backing and collaboration of all and sundry is indispensable in improving the general standard of living. To get this sort of support, his administration will have to do much more to close the embarrassing gap that often occurs between the authorities’ rhetoric about cooperation and the actual implementation of effective measures. Unfortunately, this gap seems to exist even when the talk emanates from the highest office in the land.
For example, one is reminded of his assertion in his New Year’s Message of the previous year when he pointed out that, “Clearly we need more dialogue and discussions in our society. History has shown that a nation’s all round progress is always enhanced when honest debates, dialogue and compromise are the tools used in the body politic. While the government has been willing and has moved even more than halfway to meet the opposition and compromise, we have not seen that same willingness from the other sides.”
The people can judge for themselves whether anything remotely changed during the last calendar year.
This year, as he did in his 2013 New Year’s address, President Ramotar spoke assertively about continued advancements in the education sector, with “more students completing primary and secondary education, more students accessing tertiary and university education, better performance by our students at regional examinations, and a better educated and more skilled workforce. Indeed, over the last ten years, Guyanese students have won the highest awards given by the Caribbean Examinations Council eight times. This year we got five of the top eight awards. Clearly our investments are paying off.”
Mr. Ramotar and his administration must be highly commended in this regard, because education is undoubtedly one of the foremost aspects of a nation’s development. But there are other facets of the growth and maturity process in which they continue to “miss the boat”. For instance, the pledge which stood out in the Head of State’s first New Year’s address to the nation, in 2012, was that “We will work to root out corruption in our society”.
The reality has been nothing close. Those who enjoyed the “freedom of the city” during the Jagdeo administration have seen the past two years as an ideal period and setting to further enhance their surreptitious dealings.
President Ramotar would do well to use the influence of his office as well as all his political clout to address this issue, once and for all. For example, he could intervene personally and publicly to alleviate citizens’ concerns over the halfhearted work of those overseeing the implementation of even the most basic of recommendations.
It certainly does not inspire public confidence when such reforms remain on the drawing board for years, apparently for no good reason.
The President ought to address the growing public perception that most of what is transpiring in relation to major projects and other contract-related activities is not above board.
He concluded his most recent address by opining that “This year, 2014, I believe holds out great possibilities and also challenges. How much we will achieve will depend on all of us. I am working on the assumption that all of us want to see our country move forward, all of us must want to see poverty eradicated and that Guyana can move quickly to achieving a more developed status in the world.”
Yes, Mr President, it’s good to be optimistic, but you would be ill-advised to let those closest to you be aware that you are working on assumptions that everyone is well intended, because you will never see their faults, and it will be difficult for you to determine whether progress is indeed being made.

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Optimism and assumptions

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