A real fear or a new hobby horse?

Apr 25, 2015 Editorial

The private life of a soldier is not so private after all, especially if that soldier had climbed to the rank of officer in the army. Today, the fact that some of these military men have come out in open support of a political party seems to be de worst thing that a retired officer can do.
In most societies the political leaders actually served in the military. That was considered a necessity. For example, it is not unusual that most of the people who hold high office in the United States actually served in the military. However, the government in Guyana is arguing that it is unusual for a member of the military to leave the organization then serve in the opposition.
The American people made no bones about wanting retired Generals, Norman Schwarzkopf and Colin Powell to actually take active roles in politics. Whether on the side of the government, or on the side of the opposition, was of no consideration. In fact, both the Democrats and the Republicans made their pitches. Further, such is the advanced state of the politics in that country, that the government does not even hesitate to reach into the opposition for a person to fill a role.
But in Guyana the political lines are sharp. If one is in the opposition then one is condemned to remain there except in cases where the individual is a fringe element in a small political party the likes of which only springs up when election time looms.
Ever since Brigadier David Granger entered politics he became the target of the ruling party. There must have been an inherent fear of the military. This bogey raised its head in the 2011 elections but never was the criticism as virulent as this time around. Making the attack even more strident was the decision by retired Chief of Staff, Rear Admiral Gary Best to pledge his support for the opposition coalition.
One hears that the relationship between the ruling party and the military was tenuous at the start. This could have only been because the ruling party back then had some morbid fear of the military. For example, as soon as it got into office it got its supporters to peddle the concept of ethnic balance in the army and the police force.
And there were serious efforts to achieve this ethnic balance except that it was just not meant to be. All manner of things were tried but the ethnic composition of the army and the police remained skewed in favour of one ethnic group. By merely trying to shift the ethnic composition the government was exhibiting a distrust of the army and the police.
This would explain why the government was always ready to recruit ex-military officers for a role in the public service. And so we have many retired military personnel operating out of Office of the President, the Ministry of Home Affairs, Guyana Water Inc, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
But let us look at the real problem the government may have. In times of crisis the government would meet with the top brass of its security services and together they may discuss events. They may also discuss the role people, particularly the opposition may be playing in the crisis. Unusual comments would be made and in time these could come back to hurt us.
Certainly, this may be a case of people joining the opposition with a working knowledge of the government. Never have the private lives of people so engulf this government. Members of the People’s Progressive Party, during their overseas missions, spoke of the supposed militarization of the opposition. And to show how serious the issue is to the party, no political meeting hosted by the PPP can end without some talk about the militarization of the political opposition.
It is the new hobby horse, replacing the fabled 28 years of PNC rule.

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