The PPP/C is clueless when it comes to foreign policy

Nov 18, 2020 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – The present leadership is clueless on the issue of foreign policy; it has made a series of diplomatic blunders since it got into office. These missteps can be traced back to the present PPP/C cabal not being sufficiently knowledgeable about the political and ideological causes which have been foundational to the party’s historical evolution.
The newcomers, including Bharrat Jagdeo, have no history of any major role in the pre-1992 political struggle within the party. They have become smitten with western Neo-liberalism and so de-rooted from the PPP’s working class ideology.
As a consequence, they are alien to the internationalist stance of the party. The newcomers to the party have no groundings within the traditions of the party and this is showing in the misguided foreign policy of Irfaan Ali.
Irfaan Ali allowed Michael Pompeo to insult China during a press conference held during his State Visit to Guyana earlier this year. Pompeo provoked the ire of China by claiming that China’s assistance to Guyana came with strings attached, unlike American private investment.
The President should have upbraided Pompeo for abusing Guyana’s hospitality to launch a broadside against a friendly state. Pompeo was free to be critical of China but not to use Guyana as a platform to do so.
Unlike President Ali, China’s Ambassador to Guyana came out swinging. He accused Pompeo of making erroneous remarks. In his response, the Chinese Ambassador noted that China’s relations with the Caribbean countries including Guyana is based on the principles of mutual respect, equality, and mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation. He noted that China attaches no political strings in bilateral relations.
Pompeo was out of order. And Guyana had a duty to reaffirm its right to determine who it will have relations with and the principles upon which those relations should be based.
Guyana’s foreign policy has been directionless under Jagdeo, Donald Ramotar and now under Ali. Part of the problem is that the PPP/C leadership, from Jagdeo down, do not have a sound understanding of key foreign policy issues.
Just this week, came the shocking announcement that Guyana will no longer be recognizing the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR). This is complete reversal of the position held by the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and also the People’s National Congress (PNC) which had recognized the Polisario Front, 40 years ago.
The sudden de-recognition of the SADR was only known locally because of reports made in the Moroccan media. It was reported that the Guyana’s Foreign Ministry had indicated to the Government of Morocco, Guyana’s reversal of its recognition of SADR.
It does take a genius to appreciate that Guyana was lobbied and that lobby was powerful. While it is not clear whether the United States had a hand in this about-turn by the Guyana government, the United States has always given tacit support to Morocco’s claims to the area – claims which have no foundation in international law. But Morocco equally and more forcibly has always tried to isolate the Polisario. It no doubt took advantage of the inexperience of the PPP/C’s leadership to achieve this latest de-recognition of the SADR.
Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan must be turning in their graves. The PPP in August 1985 held its 22nd Congress at Annandale, East Coast Demerara. The report of the Central Committee of the party had reaffirmed the PPP’s support for the Polisario Front. Until now, the PPP has never backpedalled on this position.
Important principles are now in jeopardy. Morocco does not enjoy any sovereign rights over the disputed territory. Morocco is an interloper in that area; it is an occupying force. Its presence in the disputed area is illegal.
This decision by Guyana to de-recognize SADR, places at risk the country’s long standing position against invading and occupying forces. The implications for Guyana’s territorial problems are obvious but the PPP/C seems so dumb that they have overlooked this aspect.
Secondly, Guyana is backpedalling self-determination – another important foreign policy principle. Both Morocco and the SADR had agreed that the dispute should be settled by a referendum. But the Moroccans have reneged on this commitment
Thirdly, Guyana will lose respect from the African Union. That body supports the call for United Nation referendum to decide the fate of the area. By derecognizing the SADR, Guyana has put some distance between itself and the African Union on an important issue to Africa.
Fourthly, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) had de-legitimized Morocco’s presence in the disputed territory. Guyana has a case against Venezuela, at present, before the ICJ. It is downright foolish for Guyana to be supporting a country which is seen as an illegal occupier at a time when it is arguing for the legality of Venezuela’s claim to two-thirds of Guyana.
Fifthly, Guyana’s de-recognition is ill-timed. Morocco is presently undertaking a brutal offensive against the SADR. The situation in Ethiopia is deflecting global attention from the aggression being meted out by Moroccans forces. The SADR has appealed to the UN and the African Union to support them in the face of this violent onslaught.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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