The call for a dictator

Nov 05, 2017 Editorial, Features / Columnists

Ethnically polarized politics, disputed elections, an ailing economy, rampant crime, corruption, and impending oil money. Sounds familiar? It is happening in Guyana. President Granger’s decision to unilaterally appoint 84-year-old retired Justice James Patterson as the chair of Guyana Elections Commission has disturbed many.
As head of state, the President is responsible for overseeing the implementation of policies and the development of the country. He is ultimately accountable to voters for the outcome, especially if it is negative because our system of government is defined by its leader.
This feature emphasizes not only the primacy of the President as “primus inter pares” but also, that the buck stops at him. It is also worthy of note that in our system of governance, persons appointed to serve on the executive at the level of Cabinet do so at the pleasure of the President and discharge their public duties on his behalf.
Given the aforementioned facts, many observers of politics naturally have been taken aback by the President’s decision. Not only is it puzzling to them, but it certainly does raise questions about the lack of communication between the President and the AFC, the major partner in the coalition government. The AFC cabinet members have stated that they were not informed about the President’s decision on such a key appointment.
They are of the opinion that it should have been discussed at the level of Cabinet before any public announcement was made, especially since it was considered a contentious issue. However, they have supported the President’s decision.
During this time there was another serious problem facing the country. We refer here to the impending strike by teachers at the state-run schools over salary increases. Members of the Guyana Teachers Union (GTU) walked out of a salary negotiation meeting with the Minister of Education and her negotiators, claiming that they were bullied by the Minister into accepting a meager salary increase.
According to the GTU, the government has failed to fulfill its 2015 campaign promise to “immediately review and correct the existing deficiencies in the remuneration and conditions of service of teachers.”
As a result, the GTU announced that it would call a nationwide strike for every Thursday and Friday of each week to pressure government to honor its promise.
The threat caught the attention of President David Granger and in short order he met with the teachers’ union. A few hours later the union announced that it had removed the threat, that it was no longer going to pursue the strike option.
Why did the President not intervene earlier? Because he is one who employs people to work and he expects them to do so. He is not a micro-manager. This should expose the weaknesses in some of those in public offices but Guyana is a society that looks no further than the leader. The mistakes of everyone are laid at the foot of the President.
The result is that people can be heard saying that the President has to acknowledge what is going on and act decisively as in the case of the appointment the GECOM chair person and on other pertinent issues.
He has to show the nation that he is in control. Indeed his mettle was tested with that appointment. He proved that he is his own man and he makes his decisions when necessary. Perhaps because of the personality of his predecessors who all exhibited signs of dictatorial behavior in keeping with the national perception of a leader.
Granger is no dictator but sometimes a man can be made to be what the people want him to be.

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The call for a dictator

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