This economist is mediocre and intellectually dishonest

Jun 01, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
In his debate on 2016/12./19, in the National Assembly, on the 2017 Budget, Leader of the Opposition, Hon. Bharrat Jagdeo spoke of a concept he came across called ‘kakonomics.’ He informed the House that if one was to Google the term, one would learn of its golden rule which is: ‘How low can you go’ and that this concept refers to ‘How to be mediocre and be happy with yourself?’
I immediately recalled the foregoing when I saw Mr. Sase Singh’s letter ‘Ministry of Communities violated the law in Mabaruma’ (KN, May 31, 2017). In this letter, Mr. Singh accused me of acting unlawfully in the appointment of the Mayor of Mabaruma. According to Mr. Singh, ‘the PPP won a majority of the votes in Mabaruma (but equal seats).’He goes on further to say that this ‘is clear evidence that this PNC-led Granger government is committed to an anti-democratic course.’ In actuality the PPP obtained 47 % of the votes cast or 687 votes against 53 % or 777 votes for the APNU+AFC Coalition.
To answer the charge that the administration is anti-democratic, I wish to inform Mr. Singh that following the ties that resulted in 6 NDCs and in the municipality of Mabaruma, the Coalition offered the PPP for resolution utilizing the democratic formula or for chairmanship going to the side obtaining a plurality of votes cast. This would have seen the PPP gaining chairmanship in 4 of the 6 tied councils, one rejected by the PPP/C. In order that these councils not be left headless I was then left with no option but to make my own decision.
As for the charge that I acted unlawfully, this matter is before the court and therefore, not for Mr. Singh to pronounce on. Mr. Singh’s letter invokes race in a vile way and unjustifiably seeks to discredit David Granger in the appointment of Permanent Secretaries and CEOs of state entities and which I will address in a separate reply. It is obvious that Mr. Singh is either professionally lazy, intellectually dishonest or both.
Ronald Bulkan
Minister of Communities

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