THE Monday May 25, edition of the Kaieteur News carried one in a series of letters by Emile Mervin, captioned “the spin doctor and the web of deceit” in which Mervin replying to Dr. Prem Misir went into his usual rants of the ills of the Jagdeo administration.

While admitting, among other things, that the PPP/C in 1992 inherited a corrupt governance system from the PNC, he implied that nothing was being done to correct the situation since they were now profiting from it.

Mervin’s Letter sought to label Dr Misir ‘a spin doctor’ but somehow I believe that if that label were to fit to Dr. Misir that most likely Mervin would have attended the same school.

The 1980 Burnham constitution was intended to ensure that he (Burnham) remains President for life with supreme power over ever facet of society. The days of party paramouncy and the party card for a job are long gone.

There were no legally established institutions that an ordinary citizen could turn to, to have their voices heard or concerns addressed. The PPP/C on assuming office removed most of the powers that were bestowed on the presidency.

If that is deemed by Mervin as an example of a regime that wished to engage in corrupt practices, the title of ‘spin doctor may’ may suit his better.

Whether Mervin likes to admit it or not, the legacy of the Jagdeo administration will be the debt relief and the economic stability achieved, even in the face of the present global financial crisis.

While foreign direct investment is the ideal way to go for the development of any country, a government cannot compel individuals to invest in their countries. The enabling economic and business environment already exist in Guyana. The issue affecting us now is the ‘new opposition’ which ensures that every effort is made to downplay any achievement and to highlight the negatives of the country.
JEAN RAMROOP