Give credit where credit is due

Jun 09, 2023 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – Every new government inherits some programme or project from its predecessor. In 1992, when the PPPC came into office, there was in place an education reform programme which had been initiated by the outgoing PNC regime.

By the time one of the projects was completed, the PNC had demitted office and the PPPC was in power. Dale Bisnauth, the now deceased Minister of Education, had the honour of commissioning the completed project.  He did something that was politically generous, perhaps one of the few times in his long career as a Minister that he did so. He invited the former PNC Minister of Education, Deryck Bernard, to the opening and gave him credit for the commencement of the work.

This week, Guyana secured an uncontested seat in the United Nations Security Council. The groundwork for that election was laid under the APNU+AFC regime.  Yet, the President and the Foreign Ministry were not magnanimous in recognising that it was primarily the efforts of the APNU+AAFC, which allowed Guyana to have that seat. On an issue of national importance, the government ought to give credit where credit is due: to former President David Granger and his foreign Ministers for their efforts in mustering support for Guyana’s candidacy.

Receiving support for a UN post does not happen overnight. It takes considerable time and effort. Guyana’s lobby for a post on the UN Security Council began under the APNU+AFC regime. Were it not for the efforts of the former Coalition government, Guyana would not have garnered the support that it needed to be elected to the Security Council. The failure to acknowledge the efforts of the former government is petty. The President issued a statement regarding Guyana’s election to the Security Council. But he failed to acknowledge the contribution which the former government made to Guyana now being a non-permanent member of the Security Council. One would have expected that from another PPPC leader but not Irfaan Ali. He has never been one to be petty and small-minded. Perhaps it was an oversight on his part. The government is glowing in the limelight of the appointment. It is hyping its election as if it is a major diplomatic achievement.

But it is not the first time that Guyana has been elected to the UN Security Council. It is a first for the PPPC but under the PNC Guyana was elected as a member of the Council for terms in 1975-76 and 1982-83. The United Nations Security Council has 15 members. Five of these are permanent members and ten are non-permanent members. The five permanent members are China, USA, Russia, France and the United Kingdom. The 10 non-permanent members are elected by secret ballot by the 193 members of the General Assembly. A country needs the support of two-thirds of this membership to be elected, even if it is the only candidate for a particular seat.

This week Guyana, Slovenia, Algeria, Sierra Leone and the Republic of Korea were elected to the Council. Only Slovenia had to compete with another candidate; the other seats were uncontested but still required the support of two-thirds of those present. Given this requirement, even for uncontested seats, lobbying for a seat on the Security Council has to commence years before one’s intended term and involves a great deal of diplomatic legwork, horse trading and, at times, arm-twisting. The APNU+AFC did much of this and should have been accorded due recognition.

That this did not happen is yet another indictment of how divided the country’s politics is, even when it comes to matters of national importance around which there should be consensus. Guyana’s membership of the UN Security Council should not be the subject of political jousting. Support on such issues should never be partisan.

Not that Guyana stands to benefit much from its election to the UN Security Council. This election will enhance the curriculum vitae of its representative on the Council but it will do precious little for the country. The government must be careful who it appoints as its representative on the Security Council. It would expose Guyana to international ridicule if it appears on the Security Council and makes a presentation about people-centred development. It would be ideal if it appoints someone who does not have too many responsibilities in an already over-stacked UN agenda. Perhaps the Foreign Secretary should be designated to assume this position. This would remove his imposing shadow over Takuba Lodge and its young Minister of Foreign Affairs who is no rabbit when it comes to foreign policy as we have seen in his handling of Guyana’s recent election to the Security Council.

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

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• Deryck Bernard, Government, Peeping Tom, PNC Minister of Education, PPPC

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