Dear Editor,

EVERYWHERE I travelled on the coast last week interacting with the public at random, I heard, primarily, praises for the performance of government and some ministers (those who constantly mingle with the public).

The President and his government have an almost 100 per cent rating for their performance so far – over three months into the administration. The personality and style of President Irfaan Ali and his team are very different from the predecessors.

The ministers are very active, getting things done. They are going around communities on the ground themselves to address public issues with some earning sky-high ratings.

Some ministers, like Anil Nandlall, Zulfi Mustapha, Collin Croal, Susan Rodrigues, Nigel Dharamlall, Vickram Bharrat, Vindy Persaud, among others, came in for special praise, especially for their activism and making their presence in the public. People, a large majority, including growing numbers of supporters of the coalition, are thankful for the change in administration, expressing delight and gratitude at ridding the country of the coalition.

The $25K household COVID grant has boosted the image of the government, with many asking why the coalition could not have helped them during the early period of the pandemic.

A large majority saw the previous coalition regime as a burden on the backs of the people. “Thank God they are gone”, is the response of many about the coalition, when asked about the change in administration. Members of the former coalition’s, top-tier leadership in particular, should go out and interact with the public to get a sense of how they are viewed among their own supporters.

The response among many is not pleasant and descriptions of their performance are not flattering – horrendous, appalling, dreadful, among other negatives. On the other hand, the description of the performance of the current government, that of some ministers in particular who seem truly immersed in their jobs, is the complete opposite – praiseworthy, commendable, impressive, among other positives. Those I interacted with say that this new group of ministers, the President and PM are very interactive and engaging with the public, while the Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo is very interactive with the media. Most of the current ministers find time to interact with people. The ministers are not stuck in air-conditioned offices. They are doers. They don’t just talk.

They walk the talk. In contrast, the previous group of ministers of the coalition and their assistants were viewed as “wanting only to sit in office on the throne. That is why they get shai out”, said some poll respondents. The Attorney General, Anil Nandlall leads in performance as “the best minister” of the government.

And there is no comparison of him with his predecessor. Respondents in the current poll say it is like comparing the taste of lime with ripe sapodilla. Nandlall dazzles with his brilliance and erudition of law. People like the idea of ministers visiting their communities. Those I interacted with say Mustapha, Croal, Rodrigues, and Dharamlall are lauded for being very active on the ground. They seem to have a presence everywhere.

Agriculture Minister Mustapha seems to be loved by farmers. He has gone to almost every part of the country, trying to sort out agricultural issues. Farmers say he is the total opposite of Noel Holder, the coalition’s former Minister of Agriculture. Mustapha is described as very engaging and hands-on. Farmers say he listens to them, accepts their complaints, and acts.  He champions the interests of farmers unlike his predecessor. Accolades also come in for Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat who is described as very calm, savvy, articulate, and reasonable.

Vickram Bharrat has the support of the miners who say he listens to them and that he is nice to people. He has a wonderful personality and he has learned the job very fast. Miners express confidence in him, saying he is doing a great job.

Infrastructural issues are also being addressed promptly. Telecommnication is a serious problem, with people everywhere complaining of poor service, dropped phone calls and wifi signals. The good news is that complaints across all ministries are being dealt with almost instantly, at times by ministers themselves.

People express concerns about COVID which is a serious and challenging issue —  Dr. Frank Anthony is praised for his effort in addressing the threat posed by COVID. There is now more testing unlike under the coalition when few tests were conducted. The Health Ministry is making a determined effort to control the spread of the virus with limited resources.

The ministry now has a handle on the extent of growth of infected people unlike under the previous government when COVID infected was kept in secret. COVID grants from WHO, India, UK, Canada, China, and the U.S. were not properly handled. Test kits were hidden and results concealed, away from the public. Adequate protective steps were not taken to control the spread of infections. – people unknowingly spread the virus.
Not enough tests were done, even though 1700 kits were donated to the government in the first month of the pandemic. One could not get an accurate assessment of the presence of COVID among the public. The secrecy of the operations of the Health Ministry led to the spread of the virus and the spike in the number of cases. Cases were first reported to the minister as opposed to the patient and attending doctor.

The number of cases was under-reported for political reasons. Politics crept in to the COVID-19 programme. That has all changed with the change of administration in early August. Dr. Frank Anthony has limited time to interact with the public on so many health issues as he tries to control the spread of the virus that has been taking a growing toll on people. His performance is rated as very good.

Overall, the President and his ministers, the Vice-President and Prime Minister have earned the respect and admiration of the public. They are worthy of commendation.

Yours sincerely,
Dr. Vishnu Bisram