Trotman promises stronger presence in AFC election campaign

Feb 05, 2015 News

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-addresses concerns that AFC would be consumed by vengeance if it assumes power

When the Parliament is dissolved as expected early this month, Raphael Trotman will be officially

released from his duties as Speaker of the National Assembly.
Trotman is said to be the one Speaker who has presided over unprecedented levels of gridlock in the House.
In a recent interview with Kaieteur News, the politician said that while he has chaired some of the most challenging of times in Guyana’s Parliament, if called upon after the outcome of the upcoming elections to serve the post again, he will consider it after seeking God’s guidance in prayer, and after being in consultation with family and colleagues.
He said, too, that after being released from his duties, he will most certainly work with the Alliance For Change (AFC) in its campaign. Trotman asserted that being Speaker prevented him from playing a frontline role given the requirements of the job.
However, there have been concerns that certain statements by his party give the impression that were the AFC to assume office, it would be consumed by revenge. This concern was premised on declarations made by AFC leader, Khemraj Ramjattan, that the AFC would jail those PPP defaulters who left the country in a mess.
In giving his take on this concern, Trotman said, “It is not surprising that with all the corruption and lawlessness that we witness daily, that the people expect that justice will be served once government changes.
The AFC has emerged as the “watchdog” party and so will be expected to make those pronouncements. I am aware that some consider these statements to be “vengeful” but I believe that only those who did anything wrong have something to worry about when they hear them.
He said that everyone should rest assured that the rule of law will be applied impartially and not whimsically and in a “wild west” manner.
Trotman articulated that the statements are intended only to rattle the cupboards in some places where it is believed that there are a few skeletons.
He noted, “It is understood that the AFC should not engage in fear mongering and needs to ease and press by tempering its language sometimes.”
Ironically, Trotman said that there are some who are relentless in their attacks to destroy the AFC and its leadership and no one questions or asks them to refrain from what they are doing.
However, he posited that it is recognized that it would be foolhardy once Government changes to spend five years trying to do nothing else “but to lock up people; though as the listing ship is righted, some people inevitably will have to be uprooted.”
He emphasized that the “AFC is not into revenge politics;” but only in setting the right systems in place for a level playing field for everyone.
On reflecting on what was most alarming about the government during the Tenth Parliament, Trotman asserted that it was certainly the degree of inflexibility that he witnessed.
He said that in other parts of the world, where there have been successful minority governments, there has been a high degree of compromise by those governments.
“It is what makes political sense. Only recently, in December 2014, the minority government of Sweden avoided a snap election by meeting with the opposition leaders and agreeing to incorporate and implement some of their budget considerations, plans and policies into its own programme. Examples of similar compromise can also be found in Canada and New Zealand,” he explained.
Asked about what disappointed him the most about the political opposition, he said, “I believe that those of us in the opposition allowed the Government to at times take us off of our agenda and game plan, and become instead, fire fighters   as we reacted to crisis after crisis that erupted.
“By doing so we took the best fighters and resources to deal with them, and at the end of the day, some of what was planned was not implemented.”
As he gears up to join his party in their election campaign, he was also asked to provide his take on whether he felt an AFC-APNU alliance would spell more pros than cons.
The lawyer said that the majority of the citizenry believes that not just the political order alone is ripe for change, but also, such change should lead to some fundamental alterations to the Constitution relating to the powers of the President and the National Assembly and the empowering of regional and neighbourhood democracies, to name a few.
He said that in 2011, the majority of Guyanese voted in favour of the two opposition parties and are expecting that these two parties will work together in some shape and form at the upcoming elections.
As to what shape that arrangement will take, Trotman said that he believes that there will be an enhanced and better defined electoral arrangement between the opposition parties.
He noted, however, that there are risks and advantages to any political configuration and permutation given the manner in which voting takes place in Guyana, and the ethnic insecurities and concerns that influence that voting.
Trotman said that it is for those who are negotiating to work through those concerns and find and implement what is in the best interest of their parties and for the nation.
Commenting on freedom of expression in Guyana, he said that every citizen knows that despite what is made known through the print and electronic media, there is a blanket of fear that still hovers. The politician expressed that there are some taboo subjects that many are afraid to address such as problems with government and organized crime.
He sought to emphasize however, that freedom of expression must always be vigilantly guarded and protected because it always be under threat.

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