There has been within the recent past much theorising on the question of leadership and leadership styles in Guyana. The days of “doctor politics” are not very much evident today as a new crop of political leaders have emerged who may not be doctors in the traditional sense of the word, but who successfully navigated the political waters and did quite well in representing Guyana both locally and on the international stage.

The term “doctor politics” had its origins in the early days of colonialism and an emerging sense of nationalism in which it was felt that only those with strong intellectual powers and prowess could effectively challenge the status quo of the colonial system. Of course many of those who rose to prominence in those days had behind their names degrees and doctorates from overseas universities, in particular those from Britain and the United States.

Dr. Cheddi Jagan, for instance, had a degree in dentistry from the United States of America. Forbes Burnham had a degree in law from a British university. Both men played leading roles in Guyana’s politics even though they became political adversaries except for a brief period in our history when the PPP was founded in January 1950, when they served as Leader and Party Chairman respectively.

Cheddi Jagan went on to become the first Premier of Guyana under British colonial rule, and again as the first democratically elected Executive President of Guyana on October 5, 1992, after democracy was finally restored to Guyana after some 28 years of undemocratic rule.

Burnham, by contrast, had the dubious record of having presided over a period of rigged elections which spanned close to two decades from 1968 until his demise in August 1985.

The point I am seeking to make in all of this is that it is not the level of educational attainment that really matters, but whether or not such intellect is used to advance the cause of the Guyanese people as in the case of Dr. Jagan or to bring shame, humiliation and poverty to the Guyanese people as in the case of Burnham.

I am aware that there are some who may disagree with the views expressed in this column, but it is my humble and considered opinion that had Burnham not got carried away by his own ego gratification and lust for power, the political history of this country would have been markedly different.

History has thrown up leaders at different periods of time, some of whom transformed the lives of people in positive ways, and others who used power to bring destruction to entire societies and peoples.

Hitler, for example, exterminated millions of people in his attempt to assert what he described as the German master race. Others, such as Mahatma Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Nelson Mandela and our own Cheddi Jagan used political power to liberate their peoples from the yoke of poverty, degradation and indignity, and they continue to live in the collective consciousness and memory of humanity as a whole.

In the final analysis, it is not how powerful you are, but how individuals use that power to promote the greater good of society.

This is why commendation is in order for our current crop of political leaders who have built on the visionary qualities of progressive leadership by those before them, in our case Cheddi Jagan and his wife Janet, who are regarded as the two political icons who individually and collectively were instrumental in the creation of a new political infrastructure based on honesty, integrity, good governance and economic and social justice.
I refer to Guyana’s former President Bharrat Jagdeo and current President Donald Ramotar, both of whom have catapulted Guyana onto the world stage by their embrace of policies and programmes, which have resonated well with leaders on the international stage.

Guyana’s first democratically elected Executive President was known for his strong advocacy of debt relief and debt write-offs; and in the latter period of his rule, successfully advocated for a New Global Human Order which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly. Former President Bharrat Jagdeo made a huge impact on the world stage with his strong advocacy role on a low carbon development trajectory, which is now being embraced by several other countries. Guyana’s President Donald Ramotar has continued along the path taken by his predecessors in positioning the country to take advantage of aid and trade opportunities from both the developed western world and from the emerging economies as represented by the BRICS countries.

The result of this positioning of Guyana is strategic with extraordinary potential for the country’s long and short term benefits. As the only English-speaking country on mainland South America, Guyana is uniquely positioned to serve as the bridgehead to the economies of Latin America and North America. Guyana’s President, who recently attended a high level summit between the BRICS leadership and leaders of MERCOSUR, would no doubt explore opportunities to take advantage of both worlds.

These are the days of strategic leadership and economic diplomacy where national interests take centre stage in the way foreign and domestic policies are managed.

President Donald Ramotar has demonstrated that he is up to the mark, as indeed were his predecessors who have collectively placed this country on the map of the world.

Hydar Ally