Political change for betterment
THE General Elections 2011 in Guyana are over. Everyone did not get the results wanted. But the people have spoken, and the voice of the people is the voice of God. As always, since Guyana became an independent country, there has been controversy after elections. At no time in our history since independence has all the political parties in the contest expressed total satisfaction with the elections processes.
The results of the elections demonstrate quite clearly that the majority of the electorate wanted a change in the way of governance and we cannot escape this fact. The PPP/C, having controlled the government for the past 19 years, now finds itself in a minority position, obtaining 32 seats of the 65-seat National Assembly. The combined opposition parties elected to the National Assembly, the APNU and the AFC obtained 33 seats (26 and 7 respectively). Consequently, based on the votes obtained, the PPP/C’s Donald Ramotar was elected Executive President, but the combined Opposition parties control the National Assembly.
We witnessed a colourful campaign in which some things were better not said on the platforms. The electorate, in some cases, interpreted what they heard as being offensive and responded in a way that surprised some politicians. What should politicians learn from this? The lesson is: never take electors for granted or underestimate their intelligence. Then following the very much delayed declarations of the poll by the Elections Commission, one of the losing parties alleged that all was not well in the elections process on Election Day. We are now witnessing instances of demonstrations in the streets and a demand to the Elections Commission for verification of the statements of poll. The situation we now have could lead to a political crisis in the country if not handled carefully.
While the Constitution allows for the elected President, Donald Ramotar, to appoint and run a minority government, we could face serious problems down the road unless all of the key political leaders decide to put Guyana first and work together. Under the Guyana Constitution, the President appoints the Prime Minister and Ministers of the Government from “among the elected members of the National Assembly”. There is no requirement for him to appoint to the Cabinet persons who are in the Opposition, although the Opposition commands the majority in the National Assembly. This being so, President Ramotar has appointed his cabinet and ministers from among persons presented as candidates on his party’s list for the elections. I am pleased to see Dr. Ashni Singh re-appointed Minister of Finance and I welcome the appointment of Dr. Nanda Gopaul as Minister of Labour. Dr. Gopaul is a product of the trade union movement and a lot would be expected of him, from the workers’ standpoint.
President Ramotar is therefore obliged to work with the Opposition to get his development programme for Guyana through. To do otherwise would be to court disaster, a derailment of his efforts. I believe that the President possesses the skill to involve the Opposition in a meaningful way in the governance of the country. He knows very well that he is batting on a very sticky wicket. If things do not go well politically, it would be the worst nightmare for him as President.
The two opposition parties in the National Assembly would be severely tested with regards to progress, and we just have to wait and see how well they work together to realize any legislation required. It is going to be very interesting to see how the next Budget presentation is handled by the National Assembly as a whole. If common ground can’t be found, the Government would be crippled, and the only way to recovery would be fresh elections in an effort for one party to secure an overall majority.
God watches over all of us; and as long as we acknowledge Him, he would direct us along the right path. President Ramotar could turn out to be a great president depending on how he governs. First, he must accept unreservedly that the majority of the people of Guyana did not support his Party at the election, even though they brought about significant economic success since 1992. Second, he must recognize that other issues impacted negatively on his Party and he must move with speed to correct them. Poor people are of the view that they have been neglected for years, they shouted that they were disadvantaged, marginalized and confined to low wages and couldn’t make ends meet.
I believe that Guyana is now poised under Ramotar’s leadership, with the assistance of all the other political leaders, to move forward to greater heights. It is my fervent wish for this to happen. I am banking on good sense prevailing as we move to get over a difficult hurdle. I think that the message sent by the electorate is loud and clear that they want a change in the way they are governed. Guyana is a complex country and requires all shoulders to the wheel to move it forward. We need an atmosphere of peace to move forward and it therefore behooves all of us to create the conditions for such. If we choose a dangerous path, God forbid, then Guyana will be headed for great political instability, social unrest and a major reversal of economic gains achieved so far.
So, I say to the PPP/C, APNU and AFC, let us all work together and allay the fears of the vast majority of the Guyanese people and stop them worrying about their future. It is incumbent on all the political leaders to satisfy the people in a way that would usher in total confidence. The young people in particular must believe that after going through a course of study and training, there will be jobs for them and for them to be able to raise their own families. Let’s do what we have to do.
Long live the Cooperative Republic of Guyana!