PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar belies his seriousness with a most benign and calm visage; however he is sure, solid and confident. When he decisively enacted his November 10th Proroguing of the 10th Parliament, it was done with certainty and finality-he was not going to be ‘foot-balled’ around by the Combined Opposition, who always showed great vacillation and carping.
In fact, the decision was made not in a ‘knee-jerk’ manner, but with the good of Guyana at heart. The ‘Man’ of Guyana wanted the ‘Best’ for Guyana, and he had hoped for important and ‘necessary’ dialogue, with the Joint Opposition. His well-intended invitation to prolong the life of the 10th Parliament was encapsulated with the “My Doors are always Open (or conversely, “My doors are never closed”) for dialogue; it still resonates and is a solid testimony of the munificence and magnanimity of this ‘father-like’ leader. Up to this point, he remains most amicable and desires fraternal ‘face-offs’ and possible agreements with Government and the Combined Opposition.

Announcement
November 10, 2014 will always be looked at as quite pivotal. In announcing the proroguing of the 10th Parliament, all Guyana saw a rigid and fixated leader in President Ramotar; he ‘called the bluff’ of the Opposition parties.

They threatened a No-Confidence Motion, hoping to either engender fear in Government, or take a chance with ‘snap polls.’ The former (likely their preference) did not work, and the latter’s magnitude they did not envisage.

They have now exhausted the ‘Grace of Dialogue’ and 2015 elections are now imminent, but very troubling for the two carpers and cavilers, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC). Both parties seem quite opportunistic and both want to abuse the other, even though subtly, and for selfish gains. The desire for ‘power exclusive’ seems to be the driving factor.

Also, both cannot decide, under what group to go to the polls. For now, the People National Congress Reform (PNCR) is subsumed under APNU, but its politics remains very pro-Burnham/Hoyte like. AFC, in namely Khemraj Ramjattan and Moses Nagamootoo, cannot risk being duped, but yet cannot be pro-Government. Their dilemma is self-eroding and it likely that AFC will be another erstwhile. The lessons from the 1964 coalition between Burnham and Peter D’Aguiar of the United Front, is still resonating-use, abuse, and cast away.

2015 will be decisive and intense. President Ramotar will announce the date for the polling exercise, but he wants a good Christmas for all Guyanese. He desires that Guyanese have a trouble and stress-free season, and this is why the actual election date was not unveiled.

Three years-fruitful … yet frustrating at time

Guyana continues to experience unprecedented growth and development, in its ‘transformation through modernisation’ initiatives. The country is most definitely on an ‘unrelenting upward developmental trajectory.’
The economy is stable, robust, diverse and expanding; education is at an all time high-Guyana dominated the Caribbean Region in the last two years and urban schools are outdoing the city ones; infrastructures for sports are on the increase; Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) 2015 are in sight (Universal Primary Education reached ahead of time); Health Care/Medicare is flourishing; and the list goes on, giving credence to Guyana’s new status. The nation has long moved away from its pre-1992 “Highly Poor Indebted Country” milieu; it is now driving towards being a “Developed Nation.”
President Ramotar has a Dream-realistic but attainable
“Guyana in the future” is ‘rankling in the mind’ of President Ramotar. He recently completed three years as the “Head of State” and his assessment of this period at the helm is most candid.
“I think it was a mixed one. It was a very difficult political situation locally … and a not so favourable international one … but the fact is (that) we kept our economy growing and we further improved our social services. Those are really monumental achievements”
“I suspect that in another 20 years, looking back at Guyana (and especially these three years), historians will probably see it in a better perspective … it has not been easy, in an international environment, that was not conducive, and a local political situation that was very difficult.”
“So it was very satisfying that we were able to do these things, despite the huge challenges … I am proud of our team.”
The Guyanese Leader admits his frustration, as he is aware of how much more progress was possible.
“My regret is that we haven’t yet started the Amalia Falls Hydro Project, because that project is the one that every single Guyanese would benefit from, and it is a project that will transform the country … to realise the dream that we have, of accelerating growth and development in Guyana, so that we can reach a ‘develop status’ in a short period of time.
The annoyance for President Ramotar is two-fold: the Combined Opposition voted against Amaila Falls for no other reason but (their) being vindictive (as both the Opposition parties have it in their manifesto, that they were in support of hydro); and because Amaiala Falls is foundational to all other sectors in the country.
He remains optimistic though, as the conviction is that the PPP/C will be restored to a majority in Parliament, and this means a continuation in progress, and thus the inevitable-Developed Nation status.

HENRY SINGH