Spending new money in an old political culture

Jul 06, 2017 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

Never underestimate the political education of the masses in Guyana. I don’t know about other CARICOM countries because I haven’t lived long enough in any of them to ascertain the political attitudes of their people, but I know Guyana. I have never lived a middle class existence in my country. I never drove with my windows up with the AC on.
I socialize with people who belong to the ordinary, mundane world in Guyana. I think, then, from such an angle, I can gauge the feelings of ordinary, low earning Guyanese on how they see politics. Most Black people are definitely against voting for the PPP. Most Indians are definitely against voting for the PNC. But it begins and ends there. Black people are not great admirers of their leaders. The historians should find the Rodney Commission a gold mine.
In researching the Rodney Commission, they should put aside the search for who knew what about Rodney’s death and look at the testimony of the politics of that period. There were trenchant descriptions of the penetration of state personnel by Rodney including the army. This was happening to a President who at the time was a very progressive post-colonial leader who was assisting the anti-apartheid struggle and who had innovative ideas that few post-colonial leaders could have matched – Forbes Burnham.
On the other side, history is yet to record how many leaders came to challenge Jagan and many of them actually ate into Jagan’s support among Indians. Three names stand out – Walter Rodney, Paul Tennassee and Ravi Dev. Indians found Rodney immensely embraceable. Tennassee and Dev pulled substantial sympathy from Jagan’s constituencies with Dev winning a seat against Dr. Jagan with his votes coming from Berbice. Outside of the electoral prison, the ordinary man and woman are not political dunces. They know the essence of people who say they have plans and visions that are good and they want a chance to rule Guyana.
With all the talk about steady income to the state from oil money which will allow for social development leading to economic elevation, Guyanese are concerned about how this money will be spent and they believe it will be used for lavish extravaganza.
This newspaper reproduced an analysis from the internationally known “Economist” magazine in which the writer expresses fear about the corrupt use of oil money. The article says it will take better politicians to manage Guyana’s oil wealth.
The writer was circumspect. Maybe because she/he is a foreigner, presumably White was afraid of the wrath of a third world government referring to him/her as colonially condescending if he/she had castigated the government as corrupt. The local people do not have to be afraid of such trepidation.
Outside of Jagan, Burnham, Mrs. Jagan and Hoyte, we have not had the kind of leaders in Guyana who can manage petro dollars without succumbing to the temptation of sybaritic extravaganza. I have not included Mr. Granger because it is too early yet; he is just two years in power.
His record of financial propriety is manifest but I would say without hesitation, he turns a blind eye to exuberant spending of state money of which I think UG is one example.
Right in the middle of the debate of how petro dollars will be used came the discovery of rent to the tune of half a million dollars for each of two ministers. I live in a compound where diplomats from rich countries reside and consultants from international organizations. The highest rent I know so far is S485,000. This is the rent rich countries pay for their diplomats.
Of course what will never go away is the salary hike. The APNU+AFC leadership in Cabinet gave themselves a massive salary increase a mere six weeks into power and made it retroactive from June 1, making it a salary increase two weeks after they took office.
There is talk all over the place that the Prime Minister’s Office has bought one of the most expensive cars equal in price to what Presidents and Prime Ministers of rich countries drive. This has been reported by several media houses and I haven’t seen a rebuttal from the Prime Minister’s office.
At the time of writing, I don’t have the facts but two AFC persons told me it is true. If this is so, I ask; why would the PM want such an expensive SUV? So we end with the observation in the Economist that “it will take better politicians to resist the corrosive power of petrodollars.” We don’t have such types.

Latest News

Spending new money in an old political culture

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

WI go 1-0 up as Hope and Rutherford boss 295 chase

Australia to play three Tests during 2025 tour of...

Terrence Ali National Open Championship commences...

GCB clarifies Dec. 6 proposed CWI members meeting

Dottin, Knight, Rana among big attractions at WPL...

Windies coach Sammy eyes clean, all-round...

Features/Columnists

Does Guyana really want a trade war with Trinidad and Tobago?

High-Stakes Bid for OAS Secretary General post

Pearl Harbor

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]

Spending new money in an old political culture

Share this:

Related

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show | December, 2nd, 2024

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

Features/Columnists

Publisher’s Note

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]