The minority government

Jun 05, 2014 Editorial

Over the past few months some people have suddenly have come to realize that the government is a minority and that it represents the interests of fewer people than the opposition. Letters to this effect have been appearing in the press and more recently, some people have been taking to the social media with this fact.
The constitution of this country stipulates that the president of the country is chosen by the largest bloc of people who vote for a particular political party. The president is then free to select his Cabinet. So we could have a situation, in which a political party receives, as one letter writer noted, recently, 34 per cent of the popular votes and the two other political parties secure 33 per cent each then the party that receives 34 per cent of the votes would secure the presidency and be required to form the government.
This government, then, can only speak for 34 per cent of the population; the majority must be spoken for by the opposition. However, running the country is the responsibility of the government, a situation akin to apartheid where the minority rules the majority.
In Guyana this is the situation but it is always being challenged to the point where people now feel that precious little is being done since the government and the opposition are always at odds over some issue of national importance. The two most glaring have been the national budgets and the anti-money laundering Bill.
Ever since the 2011 elections, the opposition, cognizant of the fact that it was responsible for the majority of the population, sought to be involved in the budget preparation. This would have shown a working relationship between the government and the opposition. It would have set the stage for the behaviour of the people of Guyana. They would have trusted the political system.
In the past, because of Guyana’s winner-take-all politics Governments were seen to operate in a dictatorial manner. Financial allocations were at the discretion of the government and even developmental works were concentrated in those areas from which came the people who voted for the eventual winner.
Even when there was a plurality the opposition found reason to quarrel as it saw things being done to the exclusion of its supporters. So this time around the oppositions was firm in the belief that it would have a say in the budget preparation. This was not to be and the nation began to wonder whether someone was playing mind games.
The opposition and the government simply could not meet; conditions appeared to be unfavourable for either side. The result was a series of budget cuts and ensuing court action that is still influencing decisions today. In fact, each budget since 2012 has been subjected to a reduction in allocations stated by the government.
Surely, had they been talking to each other given the scheme of things, there would not have been the pain being felt by people associated with Office of the President. There are people working there without pay.
There is a mantra which states that when an irresistible force meets an immovable object there is bound to be an explosion. In Guyana’s world today, the government with its minority presents an immovable force. There is arrogance and a refusal to collaborate with the opposition. The government holds on to its role with such tenacity that any challenge attracts the comment, “The opposition wants power through the back door.”
The opposition is the irresistible object, pushing ahead with its power by virtue of its majority. Laws have not been passed in certain areas; Bills have been rejected; and where necessary, the President has refused to assent to Bills passed by the opposition.
One result is that the country is facing a financial blacklisting, something that the private sector is mortally afraid of. Things need not have come to this stage. Of course, there is more to happen. The government is going to identify and pursue projects that would be challenged by and objected to by the opposition.

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