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The Opposition
Editorial…
Kaieteur News- In early December, the Guyana Trades Union Congress (GTUC) threw down a gauntlet of sorts at Guyana’s political opposition. The opposition must be more ‘militant.’ The opposition felt that silence served its interests best. But what could this umbrella union group have meant by ‘militant?’ Is there need for such opposition militancy in Guyana today? Some say the government is doing well, things have never been better. Therefore, any opposition militancy could be a block that interferes with the progress that this country has been making, what citizens need.
The GTUC’s call rang like a bell. “There is need for greater political militancy in this society.” There is much to say about that sentence, especially regarding its urgency in this era of Guyanese life. There is a problem, though, with that call. There can only be militancy if there is a solid, self-respecting opposition. Many in Guyana are of the belief that the political opposition, as it exists today, is more imaginary than real. The widespread sentiment is that while the PPP/C Government is on a rampage, and disrespects those it considers hostile to its extravagances, the opposition has been content to be silent and passive. The government mocks the opposition at will, while the traditional support base of the opposition has thrown up its collective hands. Citizens ask themselves how much more of the pressure can be taken. A militant opposition could make a difference, one that is vibrant could make the government pause.
The GTUC further noted that “Guyana is not the Vice President’s sole property, nor is this a one-party where he presides as lord…” Further still “the GTUC is concerned about the growing disrespect by the Vice President for his fellow citizens…” This is more than food for thought, it is reality coming to life and being stated in no uncertain terms. These are attributes and conditions which no self-respecting political opposition would stomach, consent to standing idly by. It is obvious even to some of his own supporters that the vice president has gone too far too often. We are in full agreement with this and, like many other Guyanese, watch for how long this will go on, and to what lengths the vice president will go. It is clear that he is on a path to self-destruction, and with the probability of great damage inflicted on an already deeply polarized society. A sturdy opposition will work tirelessly and sensibly to be the type of bulwark that serves as a check on the excesses of the vice president. The keys are that everything is done within the provisions of the Constitution and the confines of the law.
The GTUC had another concern to present that involved the vice president. It involved his sharp dismissal of the call for an opposition presence on vital state entities. The much watched, much denounced, National Procurement and Tender Administration Board (NPTAB) stands out glaringly. We believe that there is considerable substance in the criticisms levelled against NPTAB. It is so consumed by its own weaknesses that even a request from the oversight Public Procurement Commission was stonewalled first and then watered down. The presence of a vigilant, militant opposition would make NPTAB officials think twice before responding as it did, carrying on as it does. The GTUC singled out the constitutional provision of inclusionary democracy, which clashes with Vice President Jagdeo’s blunt resistance to any opposition involvement in the tender process at any level. That position of Vice President Jagdeo should have been used by the political opposition as a rallying cry. How long is it going to continue to sit back, and allow Jagdeo to run all over its dignity (and the Constitution) and disrespect both?
Corruption and cronyism blight Guyana’s landscape. The wealth of all Guyanese is being siphoned off by a criminal few closely affiliated with the PPPC Government, while many are struggling to make ends meet. There is inequity in the sharing of the national patrimony, and incompetence in the distribution of the few dollars that the PPP/C Government spares for ordinary citizens. A political opposition of strength could be militant, but first it must get a better grip on the power of its role.
(The Opposition)
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