A BITTER-SWEET ELECTION VICTORY

Jun 02, 2015 Editorial

It was a little over two weeks since Guyanese went to the polls in the General and Regional elections and elected a new coalition government. Those elections were something of a surprise to many. Former President Donald Ramotar called it much earlier than it was due. In the end, history was made as the people elected the country’s first military officer, Brigadier (R’td) David Granger as President.
The elections also saw its first multi-party and multi-racial coalition government thus ending 23 years of PPP rule. The election was a bitter-sweet victory. It was bitter for the PPP because it lost and its leaders were visibly upset but was sweet for the victorious and gleeful leaders of the APNU+AFC Coalition.
At his swearing in ceremony at Parliament on Saturday May 16, 2015, President David Granger trumpeted the victory of the Coalition as Divine intervention. He pledged to fulfill the promises made during the campaign, including the formation of an all-inclusive government.
But the Brigadier was a little too naïve to believe that the PPP would be part of the Coalition government. Instead the PPP continues to claim that it was cheated and not defeated.
President Granger promises to unite the races, reduce corruption and crime, increase the minimum wage, old age pensions and salaries, lower VAT, hold Local Government Elections and improve public health care.
Today, for the first time the citizens have experienced the rare sensation of a Government that has sworn to serve the needs of all the people. Indeed, for more than a decade the beleaguered electorate has had to contend with a corrupt, greedy and vindictive government that had trampled on their rights dictated to the nation and has created one constitutional crisis after another. Not only has the former President relegated Parliament to a subordinate status, but he also refused to assent to the bills passed by the law-making body.
In the last week or two the political landscape in Guyana has changed dramatically. There is an organized campaign to clean-up Georgetown. The entire country, with the full support of civic society, the private sector and the public at large has joined it.
The private print media particularly Kaieteur News and Stabroek News which Jagdeo had dubbed the opposition have also been far more active and inquisitive for better or worse in the configuration of the new government.
Although the government had just been elected, it had to contend with some controversies and a few errors or missteps such as matters relating to the large size of the cabinet, some lackluster appointments and the creation and re-naming of several new ministries.
The fact that there are no personnel changes on state boards and corporations shows that the government is moving at a snail’s pace. The goal is to have a very smooth transition in order to prevent the disruption of goods and services to the people.
The new government also had to deal with some truly bizarre and problematic issues such as an empty treasury; inadequate resources at its disposal; floods on the Essequibo Coast; a bankrupt GUYSUCO and the recent flooding of Georgetown. It also has to deal with bribery and corruption.
Indeed, if the David Granger led-Coalition government allows corruption and bribery to continue, the economy would shrink, unemployment would increase and the poor would become poorer.
The people must make sure that the holders of public office adhere to the prescribed and expected standards of morality. Competence must be mandatory and qualifications are essential for those in public office.
Corruption must be dealt with swiftly and discouraged and crime must be reduced. Appropriate checks and balances must be allowed in all government ministries, state agencies and corporations.
And last but not least, proper monitoring which is the key requirement for change and to move the country forward must be implemented.

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A BITTER-SWEET ELECTION VICTORY

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