The travels of Guyana’s bosses

Aug 07, 2018 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

About six weeks ago, when asked to comment on the controversy as to if there has been a new Board at GuySuco or if the old one is still in place, the Finance Minister said he was still to familiarize himself with the situation since he has been very busy travelling.
Two weeks ago, the President in responding to questions about his infrequent press conferences said that he was busy travelling so there wasn’t time to speak to the media. The Prime Minister was out for three months for medical treatment. In his absence, there wasn’t one session of Parliament. Now last week, the Prime Minister left Guyana again. There have been very few sittings of the House for 2018 and two of the above reasons contribute to an explanation. The ruling entity has just a one-seat majority. Frequent journeys overseas translate into a dormant Parliament. Now the leader of government business in the House is absent from the country again; again preventing the House from going into session. At the time of writing, the Minister of Public Security has been sworn in to act as Prime Minister. There is been no official announcement what the PM has gone abroad for.
If it is for health reason again, then I do hope that it is not serious. The Prime Minister has been a fellow political activist that I have known all my life so I hope there isn’t anything worrying. But the nation should be told. If it is on official duties, then the Department of Public Information should inform the country. If it is a private visit then it could cause you to wonder that after being away for three months, should he go again given the fact that when he goes, Parliament cannot meet. When I look at these incessant journeys by our political bosses, you can’t help rewinding the tape to our pre 2015 days. There would have been countless comments from Opposition politicians and Opposition activists that the PPP bigwigs are living it up. Both the Finance Minister and President made their confessions about three years into their reign. It makes you wonder if they have another seven years in power would the journeys expand excessively. If I were to answer, I would say yes. This has been the nature of the post-colonial world. The bureaucrats and the rulers love to travel. UG lecturers constantly tell me that the top administrators are always abroad. Make no mistake; the foreign visits of state officials and political bosses come up an extraordinary sum when you take in account airline tickets, hotel accommodation and per diem.
Juxtapose these expenditures with the words of these very officials and politicians and what is laid bare before your eyes are the things people like Clifford Krauss exaggerate about when they describe Guyana. The very Finance Minister said his Ministry did not have fiscal space to give public servants a bonus for last year. But I am assuming that it was the same Minister that had to approve spending of a whopping sum to put those huge billboards all over Guyana with his face on them during the 2017 budget. No fiscal space for bonus for workers but fiscal space is there for money to erect billboards and for travel. Of course, I apologize immediately if in his frequent journeys, the Minister’s expenses are not incurred by the state. I guess certain international organizations do pay for such trips. I saw the Finance Minister at the birthday celebration of Bert Wilkinson three weeks ago and was tempted to ask him two questions. In the three years of his Ministry, “How many countries has he been to and was it necessary to have those billboards?” But countless occasions in my life, I have not observed “time and place” and ended up violating protocol. So I decided against it. But talking about protocol, the Attorney-General did put aside protocol and accost me at the birthday party.
The same week, I had written that I find it strange that the AG would suggest that you need a referendum to change the anti-drug law but at the same time, he was in the Caribbean Court of Justice arguing that a referendum was not necessary to amend the Constitution to bring in presidential term limits.
As I approached Vincent Alexander, the Attorney-General said to me; “Freddie, me and you alright but you are not a lawyer so you wouldn’t understand these things.” It was my friend’s birthday. There is a time and place for everything. I didn’t approach the Finance Minister. I didn’t reply to the Attorney-General. I guess I have changed.

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The travels of Guyana’s bosses

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