NEW POLITICAL MODEL NEEDED

Jul 03, 2018 Editorial

Many in Guyana believe that since independence, the well-being of the masses has not been taken seriously by governments, past and present. They contend that a combination of 51 years of PNC/ PPP rule and three years of the current government have eroded the very basis of our independence.
Under performance by politicians has reflected a sad state of affairs in the country. Parliament, whose principal function is to pass legislation and function as a system of checks and balances on the executive branch of government, has been relegated to a battleground for the warring political factions.
Debates in Parliament have become a battle of personalities as each party opposes one another for the sake of opposing to gain cheap political points. Both parties are riddled with factions and tribes, and both have been operating outside the cultural norm to gain votes. They have no new ideas and as many have noticed, the egos of our leaders have resulted in incompetence. Both parties are deep in the racial battle to maintain their political base and both continue to fight ideological issues rather than deal with the real problems affecting the people.
Our leaders have made only minute changes to the constitution. They have not addressed the issue of diversity or ended the infighting over the appointments to non-political positions such as the Commissioner of Police, the Chief Justice and Chancellor of the Judiciary or the Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission, to name a few.
Guyana needs a government that will respect the constitution, freedom of speech and freedom of the press, and not a government that will inject a sedition clause into a Cybercrime Bill that has the potential to infringe on the fundamental rights of the people and the press. Our politics is old fashioned and needs to change. This is the 21st century.
The hope for change is possible with a new political model, representative of a striving democracy.
Politically, our democracy has not fully matured. But the chaos associated with general elections appears to be in the rearview mirror and, while the campaigning is just as vigorous, the violence is absent. Freedom of the press is one of the pillars of democracy, but the recent ranking of Guyana by the World Press Association is somewhat disappointing.
Our politicians are not inclined to change the constitution while they remain in power, but the electorate seems more apt to remove governments for non-performance. Road infrastructure has improved considerably in an economy that relies heavily on road transport for passenger and freight movement. Human development and the literacy rate have also improved as Guyana progresses towards the UN goal of Sustainable Development
Guyana needs a revolutionary model of governance and a new breed of politicians to transform the political system from one of partisan and exclusionary politics to an all-encompassing system to address a number of issues. It is time for us to address acts of discrimination. We need a new breed of politicians to address crime, corruption, illegal trafficking of narcotics and the lack of transparency and accountability within the government. We need a new brand of politicians to subscribe to a spirit of national unity and public policies that will benefit all Guyanese.
It is time for us to be serious about domestic violence and abuses against women and children and to persuade fathers that their fundamental duty is to provide and protect their families and not abuse them. We should address the need for a hopeful future with new breed of youths that have dreams of advancing the country with technological innovation and a sense of collaboration for a brighter future. Moreover, youths are the future leaders of the country and they should have a say in policy-making at every level of governance.

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