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Brinksmanship or arrogance?

Jun 03, 2014 Editorial

Last week the news came that the Caribbean Financial Action Taskforce had issued a warning to countries in the region to protect their financial dealings once there are going to be transactions involving Guyana. The CFATF also recommended Guyana’s case to the world body, the Financial Action Taskforce—FATF.
That Guyana is in this position is due to intransigence in all quarters. The government is insisting that the opposition parties with their parliamentary majority should support the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill because in the long run, the entire country stands to suffer.
The opposition parties say that the government cannot operate as though it is lord of all and therefore refuses to listen to the opposition and to accede to its requests. In fact, the composition of the National Assembly suggests that the voice of the opposition is the voice of the majority of people in Guyana. That is how it should be but the government is refusing to accede to this fact.
For example, Bills and motions passed by the opposition are not assented to by the President.  The government’s chief spokesman then makes it a point to remind all who would listen that the government is in power and never in the history of the country has a government acceded to any opposition. But never has the government been in the minority.
What has long been a source of frustration is the relationship that the government shares with the opposition parties. And this has been the case for years. They sit and talk then as soon as some progress is made they abandon the talks and revert to their original antagonistic positions.
Some four decades ago the late President Forbes Burnham, recognizing that the division of the country along ethnic lines was not helping national development, sought to establish a national government involving the two major parties. The talks went well until someone realized that this could actually become a reality.   Because the leaders were not involved in the talks the underlings were able to torpedo the effort.
Years later, the then President Bharrat Jagdeo entered into talks with former President Desmond Hoyte. Decisions were arrived at, and then just as easily, swept aside. It was the same thing when Jagdeo held talks with the then Opposition Leader Robert Corbin.
Nothing has changed. President Donald Ramotar talks about setting up a tripartite body first of all to work on the national budget. This body is not working because there are those in the government who insist that the budget is their preserve and that they will brook no outside interference. The result is that there have been the so-called cuts of the national budget every year that it has been presented in the National Assembly.
This attitude was extended to the anti-money laundering Bill.  For more than a year neither the government nor the opposition could reach common ground on the issue. Deadlines came and went and there was no agreement.
Perhaps it was a case of brinksmanship. Perhaps it is a case of the major political parties seeking points with their members. If indeed there are severe financial hardships then the ruling party may win back some of the support it lost. At the same time the parties would point to the fact that the government is unyielding if even for the good of the country.
The Public Procurement Commission is expected to put a lid on corruption and by not implementing it, the Alliance for Change is going to charge the government with refusing to confront corruption. A Partnership for National Unity sees local government as important; people should be allowed to manage their affairs. But with the government refusing to assent to Bills that would strengthen the system of local government, APNU is going to accuse the government of wanting to control every facet of life.
Whatever the reason, Guyana is in a serious position. And having been put there the various political parties are now trying to reverse the situation. They now say that they can pass the Bill. How much more frustrating can our politicians be?

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