President Granger needs to act now

Apr 18, 2016 Letters

Dear Editor,
Since taking office, the Government has done so much to rebuild Guyana, however, buoyed by its one seat majority in Parliament, it assumed a right to arrogance and disdain for the public and the media. So undaunted and unmoved by the alleged misconduct of the Minister of State and consumed by its constant sniping at the media, the government seems to be heading into dangerous territory.
Realizing that it is being snared by the behavior of the Minister of State who wielded incredible power, the president should have seized the opportunity and put an end to the scandal. While several ministers have distanced themselves from the scandals, the President desperately continues to praise and defend the actions of the Minister.
At the same time, his preoccupation with the business adviser to the government, Brian “BK” Tiwarie, compounded by the inexplicable decision not to address the issue publicly, has only served to prolong the scandal. Being in office for almost a year, the government seems incapable to deal with the alleged misconduct involving the Minister of State and the Tiwarie and the BaiShanLin scandals.
The government seems ill-prepared and this has dampened the hopes and dreams of an already tired and despondent nation. Incredulously, the president continues to deny that the Minister of State has a preeminent role over other ministers, including the Prime Minister.
Obviously, the AFC which is the second largest partner in the Coalition government has vented its frustration at its weekend retreat. It called for the stripping of some powers from the Minister of State in order to prevent the alleged misconduct from happening again.
The AFC felt that its coordinating and supporting role as a partner in the coalition government has been abused and at worst, disrespected by a cynical and destructive political misconduct.
Based on media reports, the President and some diehard supporters of the PNC continue to deflect the blame for the Minister’s alleged misconduct on the media, including the picketing of Kaieteur News which for years had exposed the corrupt practices of the former administration.
Only a few had the will-power to stand up against the former administration as did the publisher of Kaieteur News. In truth, the perceptions of such cruel and dishonest display are likely to erode the trust and confidence placed in the government by the people. Many in the government have assumed that whatever they say or do will be accepted by the people, but the scandals have eroded that trust.
Plain and simple, the attack on the media is wrong. This government which campaigned on change, good governance, transparency and to end corruption is accused of doing exactly the opposite. It has not learned from the mistakes of others.
There are mistakes aplenty. The enlarging of the cabinet to 27 Ministers; a 50 percent increase in the minister’s salaries and the refusal to give civil servants a substantial increase in salaries coupled with the appointments of seniors and military personnel to government positions seem unbearable for the public, especially the youths.
The common saying that the buck stops with the president, seems not to be the case in with this government. It is the President who has the supreme duty to define the image of the government, exude influence on the population, and deal condignly with those who misused and abused their power and violate the rules of the state.
This should never be delegated to others. In this, the President faltered and as primus-inter-pares must take the blame for the ensuing debacle. Above all else, the government’s silence on the Tiwarie’ appointment and the BaiShanLin scandal is troubling. Instead of investigating the Minister’s alleged misconduct, the President continues to defend him, which is bizarre.
Even more disastrous, the government’s communications team has reinforced its political folly. This was clearly shown in their over-worded, overly protective statements that were beyond the people’s comprehension, personal interests and desires. The government seems bent on a destructive path, and lest we forget, the buck stops with the President
Observer (name supplied)

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