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Celebrating the Uncooperative Republic of Guyana

Feb 18, 2014 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
In a few days we will be celebrating the 44th anniversary of our Republican status, that is, of our complete independence as a nation and a people.   This makes it an opportune time for us to take stock of how each of us has been contributing to the advancement of this nationhood, and adjust our thinking and actions towards a better approach to achieving this objective.
We are all now aware, and somewhat despondent, of the political culture that has developed over the past years.  The Opposition has been consistent in opposing any measures being proposed by the Government, even when these are clearly seen to contribute to the benefit of the country as a whole.
At the same time, the Government has been seen to show scant regard for many of the proposals of the Opposition, and refused to consider these when deciding on any issue.  This line has been closely followed by our people in supporting or opposing some project, with no other apparent consideration than whether they are among the supporters or opposers of the present administration.  We are also all aware that in a subtle manner each of these groups corresponds largely to the two main races to which we belong.
It is a sad state of affairs, and one that will by all appearances continue ad infinitum.  Our people are not projecting this cooperative spirit into their thought processes, and are controlled by the prejudices which they continue to allow to influence their reasoning about any situation.
This means that our struggling country is perpetually locked into a mode in which about 50% of the population will forever be working towards the programmes of the Government, effectively making use of only one-half of our human resource capabilities, while the other half will be engaged in doing its utmost in negating what is being attempted, further hampering national progress.
Are we forever doomed to this crab-barrel mentality?  Can we not see that the developed countries have reached their superior positions by acting like civilised human beings and applying restraint to their actions when the opposite would lessen the common effort in such a manner that the country and people would become poorer?  If we have a change of government at any one time, can we expect any other type of behaviour from either side of the political spectrum?
I am convinced that, despite the charges of corruption at various levels, and some errors being made by the present administration, the Government has been making sincere efforts within its competence to initiate projects which would benefit all sectors of the nation.  However, no government can claim to be perfect, and no one has a right to expect it to be.  Moreover, we are not a metropolitan country where the infrastructure and administrative machinery are of an advanced standard.  We are not in a highly-developed society where the majority of citizens are literate and experienced.  We are not in a country where the political system is stable and fully evolved.
What any government does is within its competence, and all of us as citizens have the obligation to cooperate in the nationally-established programmes, more so in times of national disasters or when some new measure is being adopted. Opposition elements must clearly understand that their role in the whole situation is generally to keep the Government on the right track and within the bounds of accountability, and definitely not to impede the efforts of the Administration, as we will all be poorer for it.  On the other hand, the Administration must realise that they have to always take into account the inputs of the Opposition in their deliberations.
Our claim to Independence and Republican status must be accompanied by maturity, responsibility and the cooperative spirit to place the interest of the nation above all else.  Only when we are all prepared to act accordingly will we be able to assert the right to celebrate together this coming occasion as one which we all deserve.
Roy Paul

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