THE OPPOSITION, in its myriad guises and formulations, has been clamouring for shared governance; but shared governance already exists within the body politic of Parliament and Guyana’s democracy; especially through Parliamentary committees that give the Opposition great leverage in shaping Government’s development and policies.Dr. Cheddi Jagan always had put the nation first and, even when in Opposition, although he knew the PNC administration was illegally ensconced through rigged elections, he always offered critical support on matters of national interest – such as border issues etc, instead of opposing everything, merely for the sake of making the country ungovernable for a dictatorial and illegal regime, which the current Opposition seems hell-bent on doing for the constitutionally-elected PPP/C administration, on the basis of entitlement of sharing the Government.

However, if the Opposition’s antics while they jointly hold a miniscule majority in Parliament is an indicator, then one can just imagine the Government sharing Cabinet with them – sheer horror. Government has indicated, time and again, its willingness to confer and compromise with all stakeholders on matters of national interest; but the continuum of Opposition filibustering, grandstanding, and sheer destructive, anti-developmental, anti-nationalistic, unpatriotic actions and rhetoric, since the inception of the “new dispensation” in Parliament – and even throughout our history, make trusting them absolutely impossible, especially where the welfare of each Guyanese man, woman and child is at stake.
Has the opposition earned the respect and trust for the positions they are seeking? The answer, given their history, is a resounding “No!”