A collation of the major political forces may be the best way forward

Jun 01, 2014 Letters

Dear Editor,
There has recently been a strong signal from the main opposition party of its willingness to form a united government with the ruling party. I sincerely believe that this may be the very thing that Guyana needs at this time – a government which is seen to cater for all the various interests and has the support of our different groups, especially as these relate to racial and geographical location.
It is clear that there can be no end to the squabbling over how the affairs of our country should be administered in the present political dispensation, and I am sure most patriotic, right-thinking and generous-minded Guyanese will see the option of a united front as the best way forward. I strongly feel that both the President and the Opposition Leader are men of this ilk, and would certainly agree if they are convinced of their party being fairly treated in any coalition.
It must now be obvious that any government which would be able to hold its own in this country, and truly rule in the best interests of all sections of our society, must not only possess the capacity for so doing, but must also be accepted by all the major groups of its sincerity and ability to succeed in this endeavour. Just so, no matter how capable or earnest each party feels about itself, none on the contenders acting alone will be able to maintain the peace and pace of development that is now urgently required for the recovery of our nation. To my mind then, the best solution to our political dilemma is that we resign ourselves to a unity of forces, albeit incongruent ones, and encourage the major parties to start adjusting their policies and mind-sets so as to be better able to fit in to such a coalition.
Added to this, no government that has a sizeable opposition as we have can hope to fulfil its responsibilities as effectively as it needs to. From the lessons of history, men have now generally become distrustful of authority when they are not part of same. We all know of the stories, whether based on fact or fantasy, that are being constantly peddled around of corruption in the highest echelons of the administration, and without doubt these must be the reaction of those aligned with the opposition. A united government would patently remove this circumstance.
Another requirement of any government in a democracy is one that is evolving. We find that in each aspect of modern life the individual is being called upon to accept greater responsibility for participating in the functions of administration. This creates a structure in which each individual in this democratisation process has a bigger say in its management, and so the government must be able and willing to capture the interest and involvement of the great majority of its citizens, as well as accept each individual’s right to share in the decision-making processes. We must agree that the present system does not lend itself to this being implemented, and we need to convince our people that their voice is being heard.
The extremists and diehard supporters of each of the parties in the executive and parliamentary arms of the administration would certainly raise their voices against any arrangement which involves surrendering their present position. Also, when we look at the disparate positions on issues which the government and opposition have been representing, we can only surmise that the way to a united government may be a long and tortuous one.
But I strongly feel that a coalition of the major forces in our country is still absolutely viable and the best way forward, and I would like to posit that the supporters of the two major parties should pressure their leaders to think more of the good of the country, and less of maintaining party power, and start the process of forming a united front. Otherwise Guyana is doomed to this perpetual division and discord, resulting in more and more regression in our affairs and fragmentation of our society and nation.
Roy Paul

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