Government, opposition and the media in our complex politics

By Dr. David Hinds
IN A few days’ time, the New Year will be upon us; but because 2015 has been such a defining year, it would take some time before 2016 really takes hold of the popular consciousness. The year started with a prorogued parliament and the threat of fresh elections, and it ended with startling revelations of financial misconduct at a leading government agency. In between, the country witnessed its first change of government in 23 years, courtesy of the dethroning of the hitherto invincible PPP.

As is often the case when a new government takes office after an entrenched regime, there has been a struggle between heightened expectations of the new government and attempts by the previous one to revise recent history in order to sanitise its tenure in office.

The new government quickly learned that, given the circumstances of its rise to power, it could not enjoy the grace period normally afforded the new kid on the block. The PPP, eager to prove that it was “cheated, not defeated”, went on the rampage from the first day. It has been uncompromising in its attacks on the government, to the point where it has sought to transfer responsibility for longstanding woes to the new rulers.

The government, on the other hand, has had to simultaneously deal with the challenges it inherited in the political economy, stave off the PPP’s attacks, and manage the impatience of its own supporters. In the end, any serious evaluation has to be done against that background.

In relation to the discharge of its basic function of looking after the welfare of the people, the government has done an excellent job. More people now have access to water, electricity, and better roads than they did six months ago. The cleaning of the physical environment has been a big plus for a country that had gotten accustomed to filth in the public space as the norm. The swift bailout of GuySuCo ensured that sugar workers did not become victims of the PPP’s political games. There are reports that another bailout is in the works.

This was balanced by the recent bonus given to public servants. The attempt by the PPP to suggest that the bonus represents some kind of discrimination against sugar workers must be called exactly what it is —- the politics of division.

Like all new governments, this one has made missteps, some of which were unavoidable. Most of the ministers have never served in government before, and therefore would take some time to find their feet. Fortunately, the damage which ensued, including the fallout from the ministerial salary hike, has not been irreparable.

The issue on which the government has been most vulnerable is prosecution of misdeeds by the previous government. The PPP preempted possible prosecution of its ministers by immediately levelling charges of witch-hunting and ethnic cleansing. In our ethnically sensitive society, such charges will always have currency in the section of the community that feels, or are told, that it is targeted. These charges, to my mind, have caused the government to be more circumspect than it normally would have been. Apart from sending some persons on leave, or firing a few, it has not rocked the boat. Ms. Jennifer Westford may count herself unlucky to be the only former Minister to be charged.

On the other hand, government supporters have not unexpectedly been loud in their calls for more high-level prosecutions. The daily revelations of misdeeds have justified those calls. In addition, the two independent daily newspapers, especially the Kaieteur News, have been unrelenting in their reporting and editorializing on this matter.
Head of SARU, Professor Clive Thomas, has also been very vocal about the findings of his unit. This intense pressure, I think, forced the hand of the government on the Brassington case.

The charge that the reports are biased because the auditors are known critics of the PPP does not wash. But even if it were true, let due process determine this. The other charge — that Kaieteur News has a vendetta against Mr. Brassington — is equally without merit. Kaieteur News is doing exactly what all newspapers should be doing —- investigate and expose. For too long, our media have been too soft on public officials, which in turn has helped to nurture corruption in high places.

The other function of the media in a democracy is to inform and educate; something Kaieteur News has done effectively as far as the Brassington matter is concerned.
While I support caution by the government on the matter of prosecution, I do believe that where the evidence is overwhelming, the appropriate action should be taken. For me, it is not just about the past, but, more importantly, it’s the present and the future. If officials in the current government see obvious misdeeds go unpunished, they would soon believe it’s okay for them to misbehave, too.

So what does the New Year hold for our politics? I think the government would have to tighten up on two critical fronts. First, it has to do a better job at consulting stakeholders and partners on important policy matters. This has to become a culture. Second, it has to shake off the growing perception that its ministers are difficult to access. While ministers can’t spend their day answering calls from ever Tom, Dick and Harry, mechanisms should be put in place to see and hear from the citizenry. The Public Day is a good start, but it has to be consistent. Ironically, President Granger is doing an excellent job of outreach. His ministers must follow his example more.

For its part, the PPP would continue to barricade its constituency and feed them a diet of fear and doom; that’s their trump card. The APNU+AFC will have to break down those barricades by going into those communities as parties. The AFC is critical to such an initiative. In that regard, I would like to see the parties in the government recapture their pre-government energy. There are some things that parties do better than governments.

More of Dr. Hinds ‘writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his website www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.com. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com