When politics must stop, and governance begins

Aug 10, 2020 Editorial

We have great difficulty with this here. That is, when politics must end, and national governance must begin. The problem here is that the two are inseparable, they go hand in hand, and nobody has truly tried to do anything different; to be distinguishing in delivery.
This caution needs to go out early: democracy may have prevailed; but it is a struggling one. On the other hand, harsher reality has taken over and the dictates of our unique circumstances demands governance for the benefit of the greatest many. Look around, and even the blind and deaf are sure to recognize that half of our people are limping. There is great probability of those limping possessing enough weight and bulk to drag this society down, all of it. It is why we warn: do not ignore. Do not take for granted and continue in the merry old ways that are laced through with the winner-takes-all ingredients.
We agree that political appointments should do the decent thing and go. They must go from offices; they should go from public residences; they should go quickly and cleanly, after handing over all state property. If they do not go quickly enough, then whatever action the new administration deems fit is justified. On the other hand, going back to 2018 to pore over land leases is another story. Once all the requirements were met, and there was even handed approach to such leases, then they ought to remain in place. Also, it would be problematic and unacceptable should the new government target and come down hard on known coalition supporters, while leaving others in a similar boat untouched.
The bottom line is that whether it is jobs, housing, or lands (or whatever else comes to mind), balance and fairness must prevail. We urge the government not to be vindictive and create victims, but to be sensible and far reaching.
The new government must do more than talking warm words, sharing warmer smiles. So much more must be put on the table for all to see, all to be invited, and so that as many as possible could sum the interest and energy to respond in kind. As can be gathered, governance envelops inclusion of the widest variety and the hugest arc. Guyanese, of which there are no losing ones, have to get the strong sense that they count, that they are an important component of the present and the future, and that their dignity remains intact, because they are not being patronized, demonized, or victimized.
Governance must mean more than handout, more than tokenism of a few different faces, while the cream and the jewels are lavished on those from the winning side. If the new administration goes down such a road, then this society is doomed to the prejudices that build and build until they blow. We must govern better. Therefore, there can be no excuse, we must do better this time around, or we risk wasting what was gained after great effort.
The great potential of this rich country could be dissipated and lost before we know it. We have spoken for the longest while about potential. We had enough talking about potential; now is the hour to convert potential to the real thing. This must embody palpable returns to our peoples, note the plural. Only the visionary will afford some success in this seething society in oil management, housing, economic policies, public service oversight, stimulus relief, and so on.
We must proceed from blueprints to tangibles that imprint on numerous minds, those which withstand partisan dissension and denunciation. There should be enough business, enough funding, and enough planning to touch whole communities, different sectors, and many ambitions.
A saving grace of our oil wealth, feared to be a curse, is that the Guyanese population is small. On a per capita basis, this translates to spreading of the wealth, while making provision for misconduct by political figures and agents. It is that even if a lot of corruption were to occur, which may be almost inevitable, there would still be something of meaning for every Guyanese.
Though elections are over, the politics must end now, and true governance must make a substantial start.

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