Jagdeo is out of order!

Sep 25, 2022 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – The President needs to muzzle his Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo. The Vice President has been making statements which are harmful to the country’s national interest, especially its relations with Suriname.

Addressing fisherfolk recently, the Vice President is reported to have accused Suriname of not honouring an agreement it has with Guyana for the issuance of 150 fishing licenses. These licenses would allow local fishers to fish in Surinamese waters. Jagdeo is reported to have said, “Our patience is being tested and we are going to write CARICOM on this matter.”

He went on to add these chilling words, “These are different days.” And according to a Demerara Waves report went on to suggest that Surinamese companies operating in Guyana could soon face difficulties operating here unless Guyanese fishers are treated differently.

This latter statement can be viewed as a threat against Suriname. It suggests that unless Suriname honours its agreement with Guyana, then there could be adverse implications for Surinamese companies operating in Guyana.

This is a new low in relations between Guyana and Suriname and between Guyana and any other CARICOM member state. Barbados was once notorious for deporting Guyanese; there was even said to be a Guyanese bench at the Immigration Section of the Grantley Adams International Airport. Yet, Guyana, including under the Presidency of Jagdeo, never threatened retaliatory action against Barbadians. But here is Mr. Vice President, a man without a ministerial portfolio, openly hinting that Surinamese companies can find it difficult operating here.

This is highly arrogant outburst by the Vice President. It undermines the President and the excellent relations he has cultivated with Suriname. It is known that there is an excellent chemistry between President Ali and President Santokhi. The latter came to Ali’s inauguration and Ali has reciprocated and also paid a State visit to Suriname. Relations between Guyana and Suriname have been at their best with both sides agreeing on areas of cooperation.

But Jagdeo’s hint at retaliatory action has more serious implications. At present, there are about 25,000 Guyanese living in Suriname, the majority of who are not citizens of the Dutch-speaking republic. Hundreds more make the daily and weekly commute to go and work in Suriname and to return home at the end of the day or week. Hundreds also do thriving cross-border trading.

Should Suriname decide to close the border with Guyana in response to Jagdeo’s threat what is going to be the fate of the hundreds of local traders and workers who ply the Guyana-Suriname route each week?

Should Suriname decide to totally close off its fishing grounds to all Guyanese fishers, what is going to happen to the economy of Region 6? But even more worrying is if the situation escalates and Suriname decides to expel the more than 20,000 Guyanese from that country? What is going to be the fate of those persons if they are forcibly expelled and having to leave all their assets and return to an uncertain future in Guyana.

Guyana is looking to create a massive arc of energy cooperation involving Guyana, Suriname and Brazil. Trinidad and Tobago had indicated an interest in joining this initiative which is being pushed by the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB). Guyana can become the largest exporter of natural gas in the Caribbean. It would be unfortunate if in retaliation to Jagdeo’s statements, Suriname signals its withdrawal. This will hurt Guyana’s ambitions to be the energy capital of the Caribbean and to find uses for the massive volume of natural gas which will be generated during oil production.

The dispute between Guyana and Suriname will not be resolved through a war of words. There is a legal impediment to the quick resolution of this issue and there is also resistance from elements within Suriname to granting Guyanese fishing rights.

Suriname is within its rights to deny Guyanese fishers licenses. This is not Guyana’s waters to dictate to anyone what should happen. Guyana therefore has to negotiate around this issue.

But diplomatic negotiations appear to playing second fiddle to the issuance of public statements and threats. It is heartening that Jagdeo has indicated that Guyana plans to involve Caricom in matter but Suriname will be within their rights to first demand that Jagdeo retracts those statements he recently made to local fisherfolk. No country likes to negotiate under duress.

It is widely suspected that Jagdeo is seeking to reclaim popular support following the controversy which erupted over the Vice News feature. The distribution of grants to fisherfolk and the announcement of thousands of part-time jobs are viewed as restoring some of his popularity.

But intemperate outbursts such as the ones he made against Suriname will hurt the entire country. And it is for this reason that President Ali should put a bit in Jagdeo’s mouth.

(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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