THE view held that one is always right even in the face of evidence to the contrary, or too big to recognise or acknowledge an error in judgement should be of concern.Guyanese continue to suffer the indignity of public officials, elected and appointed, operating as if they are above being held to account. As the world moves ahead and development takes place in other societies, aspects of our culture that remain stuck in behaviour that science/evidence debunks will lead to increasing views that Guyana will remain backward and under-developed.
Commitment to bring Guyana into the 21st century and among progressive societies requires doing things consistent with modern thinking, including approaches to governance and management. Leader of the Opposition Bharrat Jagdeo outside of being a politician once held the nation’s highest constitutional office. Holding office as President and Commander-in-Chief of the Cooperative Republic, it was not unreasonable to expect stellar leadership as guardian of the Laws of Guyana, defender and protector of the people and the nation’s sovereignty. Being leader of a country carries great responsibility and expectation, and even after demitting office some expectations still remain, and it is hoped that Mr. Jagdeo could be mindful of this.
While the Leader of the Opposition and PPP/C has the right to represent and defend its stewardship of the country, the expectation that such be done mindful of certain basic decency is not unreasonable. It requires strength of character to learn from or acknowledge missteps in the face of evidence, including the laws, not determined efforts to justify them. However much Mr. Jagdeo wants to spin it there is no justification in some of the acts committed during his presidency and that of former president Donald Ramotar.
There is no justification in the granting of radio licences outside of the Broadcasting Act that vests the authority in the Guyana National Broadcasting Authority. To seek to justify the act by whitewashing it with race, the most basic of man’s instinct, that of the 10 licences issued six went to non-Indians exemplifies a scourge this society must work to rid itself of. In our racially ultra-sensitive society, a violation of the law does not automatically make it a non-violation because the beneficiaries are of a multi-racial subset.
Evidence of corruption during Mr. Jagdeo’s administration is not a figment of the imagination. It has been proven through forensic audits and abuses noted over the years in the Auditor-General’s reports. Where the APNU+AFC administration is seen as unwilling to act on various reports highlighting discrepancies, and dare it be said to the chagrin of the masses, provides no justification in the boast that past PPP/C administrations were not corrupt. As an aside, it should be said where the present administration is perceived as not wanting to act on recommendations made in the audits, continued taunts by the PPP/C to act and boast of being lean, clean and mean will become the ‘truth.’
The continuation of projects inherited by any incumbent administration is done for several reasons such as practicality given the resources already invested, and as result of modification in management, focus, and so forth. At the same time such prudence gives no rise to justification that the manner in which projects were initially pursued confirms to acceptable standards in pursuit of development. Mr. Jagdeo in justifying his administration’s decision to build the Marriott Hotel and Specialty Hospital based on the fact that the APNU+AFC pursued these projects may have forgotten these factors.
For instance, opposition to the construction of the Marriott was informed by the secrecy in conceptualisation and execution of the entire project, including the contract that allowed for the hiring of foreign labour when the local market was saturated with the appropriate skills. Shortly after completion the hotel was offered for sale at a significantly discounted price which would have netted a loss to the taxpayers who funded its construction. It may be useful to recall what Mr. Jagdeo finds to deride the government for the same can be said of his party when in the opposition prior to 1992. A notable reminder is the Desmond Hoyte administration Economic Recovery/Structural Adjustment Programme which was condemned, yet maintained primarily in its entirety during the PPP/C administration, producing growth over successive years, albeit earning the reputation of being the longest structural adjustment programme ever implemented in any country.
The growth and development of our nation require of the people rejecting justification for acts that are evidently wrong lest time leaves us behind.