THE letter headed ‘TERM LIMITS ARE NECESSARY IN GUYANA’ by Emile Mervin in the Stabroek News of July 10, 2009 is a rather lengthy response to a brief news item earlier in the week in the Guyana Chronicle. Why is Mr. Mervin so vehemently upset about the reporting of the views of the St. Vincent and Grenadines Prime Minister who is known for his frankness?

The need or not for term limits is very topical in Guyana, the region and hemisphere, and it is for the people of Guyana and other countries to determine their preference for a system that best suits their existing circumstances.

Mervin admits that what Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves said may make sense, “given that individual CARICOM countries do not have a vast reserve of political leaders waiting in the wings who are duly qualified, appropriately trained and reasonably experienced enough to lead a nation.”

But then he jumps on the favourite bandwagon he shares with other so-called political commentators here — that of equating President Bharrat Jagdeo’s term with the excesses of the late President Forbes Burnham and his administration that governed Guyana for almost three decades.

He and others of his ilk conveniently forget that Mr. Jagdeo and his Party have been freely elected to power by the majority of Guyanese in internationally-governed and sanctioned elections since October 5, 1992. The same cannot be said of the pre-1992 reign of government here.

Mr. Jagdeo is President because of the freely expressed will of the people, and it is that firmly entrenched democratic process that will determine who governs at the 2011 elections.

Whether or not President Jagdeo is prevailed upon to run for another term has to be determined by the people of this country in the democratic process.

And it is through that democratic process that Mr. Gonsalves was giving his opinion on a matter of public interest.

The people of Guyana do not have to press for elections in 2011 — they are gearing for local government elections by November this year.

What should be worrying Mr. Mervin and his band is whether they will be able to field able enough candidates for the 2011 elections.
That and not term limits looks like a nightmare.