THE tributes paid at the  funeral   of the late Deputy Mayor, Robert  Williams, was another ample demonstration that being  on different sides of the political divide, does not necessitate  subjectivity, inherent  bias and closed-mindedness, and a hindrance from serving in the national interest. This former City Father, from all that was said of him as a person,  and one who functioned in a public capacity, served in the national interest; being described  movingly by  President Donald Ramotar  as one “who lived his life in that way in the service of the people of the country”.  In other words, Robert Williams put his all for  his country first before partisan considerations.
This is what is expected of every functionary, regardless of political affiliation, moreso  given the nation’s political peculiarities and the  challenges  to surmount. But Robert Williams  climbed  that  precipitous plateau and conquered its summit, a fact duly recognised by President Ramotar in his respects paid.
Similar tributes  were  echoed by other  senior  Government  functionaries. This is  once  again  encouraging, and points  to a growing  and  steady maturity  emanating from  significants  as to where  self-interest must end, and the call to national duty begins.  The nation can only benefit from this  positivity and enlightenment.
Political maturity demands that its players  be fair  and open-minded in their assessments of their opposite colleagues. Nothing is wrong with  such gentlemanly conduct. Adversarial politics should not mean grudge,  in a manner that obfuscates the truth.
Sometime last year, an AFC councillor in one of the regions, lauded the PPP/C government for its work  done in the  said region . And even Raphael Trotman is on record as acknowledging  the progress achieved under the PPP/C government.
One hopes, that  others  will follow Williams’s example.