The Invite

Dec 13, 2020 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

Kaieteur News – The Leader of the PNC/R appears to be flummoxed by the Presidential invitation for him to attend a caucus of former Presidents. He appears to have concluded that this invite has to do with initiating some form of political dialogue between the government and the Opposition.
This is a far cry from what is the meeting’s purpose. When he first floated the suggestion, the President of Guyana said that he intended to tap into the knowledge and experience of his predecessors. The caucus is an attempt to arrive at a structured process to allow the former Presidents’ to make a contribution to the nation.
The caucus is not a precursor to shared governance. It is a trick to lure the PNC/R into talks with a government, which it does not recognize. If there is any question of de-recognition, it is the Opposition, which should be de-recognized, given their disgraceful conduct in attempting to hijack the democratic process.
The main Opposition has no moral authority to criticize the government. Its shenanigans between March 2nd and August 2nd this year has forfeited its right to be considered as being worthy of involvement in any democratic process, inclusive of any formal dialogue with the government.
The PNC/R’s de-recognition of the government does not de-legitimize the PPP/C regime. If anything, it is a further demonstration that the PNC/R, to which more than 40 percent of the electorate gave its nod of approval, is not fit and proper to participate in the democratic process.
The PNC/R is stuck in the old politics of electoral malpractice. The 1973 elections, held while it was in power, was described as a “fairy tale elections,” and the elections of 1980 was deemed as “more crooked than barbed wire” by the British Parliamentary Group of Observers.
It tried after 1985, the worst rigged elections in the history of Guyana, to reform its image. It even held caucuses for the election of its Leader. But, even the candidates knew that there was a favoured horse in the race. The existing leadership at the time had thrown its weight behind this person. The process was not free. On the day of the voting, a gunshot rang out at Congress Place and in the ensuing melee, it is alleged that there was tampering with the ballots.
The PNC/R never was a creature of electoral fraud. It is a party which has been weaned on the abuse of democratic processes both internally and when in government. After it was declared the loser of the 2020 elections, a new Leader of the Opposition was foisted upon the country without any internal democratic process within the PNC/R or within the APNU+AFC Coalition. Many of the party’s own leaders were sidelined.
The PNC/R therefore does possess the trustworthiness to engage the government on shared governance. Its actions between March and August were intended to steal political power.
The PNC/R was never interested in shared governance. It wanted to hog political power and it did so between May 2015 and March of this year. It violated established political conventions associated with parliamentary democracy when it refused to resign, following the passage of a no-confidence motion. It dragged this country through its worst period.
And it now has the temerity to attempt to lecture the present government on propriety. It should consider itself fortunate that the incumbent regime is attempting to be civil towards it by even inviting its Leader to talks, but in his capacity as a former President.
Dr. Irfaan Ali is a youthful President. The young President is not arrogant or haughty. He has a likeable attitude; he is friendly and humble, traits, which may have a lot to do with him being a devoutly religious person.
He wants to learn from his predecessors. But, more importantly, he recognizes that a country like Guyana, with a limited human resource base, should not relegate its former Presidents to being political fossils. He is attempting to make use of their knowledge and experience.
Other countries do the same. They designate their former Presidents as political elders. These former Presidents are not put out to pasture after their terms of office have ended. They can still play a role, particularly in social causes and in international relations.
The Leader of the PNC/R should have viewed the invitation from President Ali in this light. He was being invited in his personal capacity as a former President and not as the Leader of the PNC/R.
If he had difficulties wearing both hats at the same time, he should have indicated that he cannot separate the two roles. His insistent demand that the meeting be structured and have an agenda misses the point. The meeting itself is an attempt to set an agenda by examining how these former Presidents can contribute.
To have read political motives into the meeting, is a misunderstanding. What is being touted is along the lines of a Council of Elders. Such a body can contribute so much to the country’s stability and standing.
While Granger may still see himself as a political Leader, it is almost certain that he is merely paving the way for his successor and will soon exit competitive politics. In this regard, he could have still played an important role in national life by casting himself as a political elder.