IN a private meeting with the President, I emphasised that if ever I was to impart advice to him, it would come from the way I see the realities in Guyana and based on those realities, I would submit my analysis. I specifically told the President, an admirer and/or adviser one has to tell his/her leader how they see things and not embellish things just to please the President or the Prime Minister. The person who heads a government learns from advice that is offered by an independent mind and not a sycophant.
I got several calls and emails from people asking me if I saw what Joel Bhagwandin wrote on his Facebook page about the government. The entire country knows Mr. Bhagwandin has a positive relationship with the government. In his post, Mr. Bhagwandin noted that the Guyana Government has stupid people in it that possess authority.
I wanted to hear from Joel himself what triggered that opinion. The first thing Joel asked of me is if I do not see that too. I couldn’t bring myself to say no. I do see such people around, but they are not a reflection of the performance of the government or the presidency. Governments all over the world have stupid people in them. As a friend of the government, you help it by pointing out the ones that need to have some vision and purposeful thinking because they can make the government look bad.
Three years ago, I called a PPP minister (who is no longer in the Cabinet) to be the guest on the Freddie Kissoon Show. The gentleman told me in no uncertain terms that he will not appear on the programme because I once criticised him in a Kaieteur News column. Several PPP ministers that were the subject of my critical pen have appeared multiple times on the show. It shows the difference in humans and some humans are silly people.
My thoughts on politics are that when confronted with protesters, Guyanese governmental leaders should engage them if they want to talk to the country’s leaders. This is a motif in politics that is more pronounced in the West Indians. I could see Edward Seaga in Jamaica, Tom Adams in Barbados, Lester Bird Junior in Antigua, Eric Gairy and Maurice Bishop in Grenada, Basdeo Panday in Trinidad going out from their meeting place to speak with opposition parliamentarians who are outside protesting.
From my perspective, it is a win-win situation for the President or Prime Minister or Cabinet Minister. The first condition is that there must be mutual respect for the ambience. You request to see the minister or head of government, and then, out of respect, if the government shows a willingness to meet, then you must tell your underlings with you that they cannot be boisterous or insulting.
If they cannot call off their dogs of war, then the nation sees who the fools are. The minister or head of government then lay down the rule for the future. There can never be a meeting in such circumstances because the protesters have no capacity to show respect.
The second condition is that the opposition parliamentarians banging outside the gate to have a meeting have to know that the tradition is that there must be a small delegation chosen from among themselves. Obviously, this is commonsense, and no head will tolerate a large group around the table. Things are bound to become unwieldy and unproductive.
I believe in such circumstances the minister or the head cannot lose but could only win. First, it will show the nation that there is willingness on the part of government to talk and to listen. Secondly, based on how the discussion goes, accommodations and concessions could be offered that make the government look good.
If the talks fail because of impossible demands, then the nation will see who the patriots are and who the demagogues are. There is a famous case during the heat of my fyaah/slo fyaah. The PNC requested to see then President Jagdeo. President Jagdeo agreed, but PNC supporters stormed Congress Place and insisted that Opposition Leader Desmond Hoyte must not meet with President Jagdeo. PNC scrapeheads began to rock Hoyte’s car to turn it over. But Hoyte persisted, and there began several meetings between Jagdeo and Hoyte named “The National Dialogue.” This is not exactly the perfect example to cite in the situation I am looking at, but it contains political elements that governments could learn from. My advice to the Guyana Government is when protesting parliamentarians are at the gate, go out and talk to them. Take the high ground. You cannot lose.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.