Get it right this time, Guyana!

Jul 31, 2019 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

I believe that Guyana has another chance, this time, to deliver its offshore Oil and Gas bounty for the benefit of all of the residents of Guyana.
I am a Guyana-born American citizen, long gone from Guyana, but my navel string was buried near the punt trench in Palmyra. And periodically I can still feel its pulse, as I pray for a better life for those still living in Guyana and whenever I visit.
In my opinion, Guyana missed the promise that came with Independence; the promise of the elections of 1992; the promise of Bharrat Jagdeo’s youthful presidency; the promise of the Coalition government; and most of the potentialities of gold, bauxite, rice, sugar, forest, fish, falls and freshwater.
And now, there is Oil and Gas. In abundance. There is currently a lot of oil in the world’s reserves and a short time to monetise it, because I believe, in about twenty to thirty years, fossil fuels like oil and gas will become obsolete, replaced for the most part by energy derived from wind, water, solar, tidal, hydrogen, landfill, recyclables, biomass and other alternatives less harmful to the environment.
If Guyanese are to get the benefit of the likely, (though not guaranteed) oil bonanza, the country’s political leaders need to work together. The asymmetry in knowledge, skills, resources and confidence between the major oil companies and Guyana’s representatives will always favour the majors. Local divisions and political uncertainties will increasingly handicap Guyana’s negotiating positions, and while the folks at Exxon and other international oil corporations will invariably be among the kindest, generous and big-hearted people you are likely to meet, those characteristics will not be manifested at the table of serious business.
Editor, is there any way that the leadership of the two major political parties can work out a plan, before the upcoming elections, to share the governance of the nation and particularly the management and stewardship of the nation’s Oil and Gas stream of income? I can already sense that some already see the triumphalism inbred in the winner takes all platforms of history. In Guyana that will leave about half the population as losers, if this mindset moves into the oil future. Money, especially big money, often bring out the worst in most people.
I have read that both major political parties think that they will win the next elections. One will and one will not. Which and which, I do not know. Nor do I think that either of them knows for sure, bluster apart. The closeness of the elections of 2011 and 2015 should give pause to both of them.
I believe that the people of Guyana will be better off, if the two major parties agree beforehand, to something like this: that the two parties will form a joint government; that the winning party will get the Presidency; that the second party will get the Prime Ministership and first pick on a Cabinet position; then the first party get the next two cabinet picks; and then rotating two picks at a time until all the Cabinet positions are filled with the winning party having in the end, one more Cabinet position than the second party; and that the various commissions and statutory bodies will reflect a similar distribution.
I know that this will not be easy on the ego, or on the addictive highs of absolute power and privileges, or the temptations of mucho dinero, or as the preeminent dispenser of favours and rewards; and many other potential difficulties that I cannot foresee. However, if all Guyanese are to have a fair chance of getting an equitable share of the benefits from the Oil and Gas industry, all I can envisage is some sort of shared governance agreement.
For sure, there will be legal hurdles, perhaps some constitutional ones as well, but those are for the legal experts to resolve.
Guyana, please try to get it right this time.

Yours faithfully,
Dr. Tulsi Dyal Singh
Midland, Texas

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