WPA diaspora group says Coalition Govt. not doing enough

Aug 15, 2016 Letters

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Dear Editor;
The WPAOA (WPA Overseas Associates) held its third meeting on Sunday August 7thin Queens, New York. The meeting had the benefit of the skype facility for limited participation of some associates who could not attend in person. We were privileged to receive a short contribution from Br. Eusi Kwayana and Alissa Trotz during the course of the meeting.
The meeting received reports from its members who were present in Guyana in May during the Independence Celebrations, on their meetings with the Executive of the Working People’s Alliance, the Minister of Education Dr Rupert Roopnaraine and many persons engaged in social activism unattached to and independent of the political parties, on the political situation in Guyana and the state of the economy.
The meeting also heard from a New York social activist about the concerns within the immediate diaspora about developments in Guyana. The meeting also discussed the recent debate in parliament of the report of the Walter Rodney Commission of Inquiry, but members were without authoritative information on some aspects of the parliamentary exercise including the final resolution.
The meeting reaffirmed the value of an association like ours and its commitment to continued service of the people of Guyana notwithstanding the distance that separates us from our homeland and the relative insignificance of our numbers.
The meeting recognized the need for affirmation of its founding culture, which essentially is for:
the emergence of a democratic, humane non exploitative society of an enlightened citizenry, in which working people play a decisive role; the growth of an economy which is balanced in favour of all sections of the Guyanese population; attention to specific concerns for the rights of the sick the elderly, youth and women, and communities that  historically  have been disadvantaged; expansion of the space for intervention by civic, cultural, legal, business, trade union, farmers, craft, technical, professional, educational, sports and religious and other non-governmental organisations in public affairs; a concerted effort to meet the challenges and opportunities  of the rich  cultural diversity of Guyana; preservation of the quality of its environment, to stop the wasting and ravaging of its rivers forests its fertile soils, and mineral resources.(this is not the place for a more expansive formulation)
Two aspects of national security that demand intense vigilance is the safeguard of the right to life and personal security and the threats to the nation’s independence, territorial integrity and sovereignty, derived from designs of external powers and powerful corporations.
Since our formation the WPAOA has followed with keen interest reports and information coming out of the country and has intervened in a number of causes from time to time, including increases in salaries of Ministers, the crime rate, the Commission of Inquiry into the assassination of Dr. Walter Rodney and Independence Celebrations and on investigations into criminal activity and corruption of personnel of the political directorate of the previous administration.
In analysis of the situation in Guyana we are persuaded that the climate for freedom of speech and for the right to dissent has improved; that there is recognition of the demoralizing impact  of  the wave of criminality and that there has been more effective policing; and little evidence has so far surfaced to suggest that the present administration is tainted with corruption; that there is an investigative machinery in place for bringing to justice those who have been engaged in criminal activity and illegal accumulation of wealth in the previous administration, a sanitation clean-up of the capital, and some efforts to engage communities.
We recognize too that the new administration has been burdened with a society in disarray, substantial loss of expertise through migration and collapse or imminent collapse of the traditional three pillars of the Guyana economy, namely, bauxite, sugar  and rice, a drug fuelled economy and a crisis in educational system. The coalition partners knew all of this before their assumption of office.  While realistically not expecting a dramatic amelioration of the conditions in Guyana, there is a settled view that the Government has had enough time to settle into their assumed responsibilities.
Regrettably the new administration appeared unprepared to deal with the challenges of a functional coalition arrangement, and its leadership has failed to present a bold creative and visionary approach to inspire the nation’s confidence and involvement, with some ministers displaying inexperience and backwardness, lack of expertise and disconnect with people and communities.
What does the Government propose to do to offset massive social dislocation, wage loss, job loss of  thousands in the category of working people, derived from the  collapse of sugar bauxite and rice,  the disinvestment that will be resulting from the diminished contribution from the underground(drug) economy. Is there an adequate functioning unit to outline a new orientation in economic policy to address urgently these problems and the prospect of the management of an oil economy.
We have expected that the Ministry of Education will hold the key to a modern revitalized, liberated and literate society. There was a suggestion that a state of emergency should be declared in education so devastated is the education system. We are expecting much more from the Minister of Education.
The new administration is leading us to think that it is a representative government. With a majority of one and the rising tensions between the two main ethnic communities and the increasing impoverishment of the country, this is a dangerous fiction. We have evidence of one token gesture towards attainment of the goal of an inclusionary government. That initiative appeared insincere, met with scorn from the PPP and has not been heard of anymore. The longer the ethnic divisions are allowed to become rampant the closer we would be to a national disaster.
In the spirit of placing Guyana first and of enhancing its capacity as a contributor to the welfare of the people of Guyana, WPAOA  has begun to examine the form and structure of our assembly and collaboration to consider what reform may be necessary to make it more accessible  to all sections of the Guyanese population at home and in the diaspora and to emphasize our independence of political parties in Guyana and broaden our perspectives to go beyond limited intervention  in strictly political matters. The discourse within the WPAOA as to its eventual evolution and structural reform continues.
Keith Branch
WPA – Overseas Associates

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