Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Oct 04, 2011 Letters
Dear Editor,
My very close friend of over thirty years, Mayor Hamilton Green, has found it necessary to respond to my letter, “Two rotten peas in the same pod” (Kaieteur News, Sept. 26). Hammie is family to me, and more like a father to my children.
And although we see things a bit different politically now, I have the greatest of respect and admiration for the tremendous contribution he has made, and continues to make, to this country we all love… Guyana.
Whether he was asked to use our friendship to challenge me, or this was done entirely on his own, is not important. For I have no intention of allowing a difference of opinion to interfere with our friendship. Hence, he should not expect a public debate on the issues he raised.
But this is reminiscent of a phone conversation I had recently with my brother, a lifetime PNC supporter, who asked that I stop writing because “it’s hurting the Party’s chances of winning.”
This letter is not about Hammie, for like my brother, he too may feel I’m doing an injustice to Granger’s political hopes and aspirations, and I respect him for that. So I will proceed to the subject matter.
I thank Ralph Seeram for his article in Kaieteur News on October 2, that shouts the caption: GRANGER: “I WILL REDUCE THE POWERS OF THE PRESIDENCY”. This, I believe, is an intentional lie being propagated and directed to those independent and swing voters in Guyana, to win over their confidence and support.
One can expect politicians to say anything and promise the world on a golden platter during an election campaign, and they usually do. But some promises are much more difficult, and in some cases practically impossible to fulfill than others… and this may be one of those.
On October 6, 1980, when a constitutional revision transformed the presidency into an executive position, the then Prime Minister Forbes Burnham did not relinquish his authority. Instead, he merely transferred real power from the hands of the Prime Minister to a position that was previously just ceremonial.
Forbes Burnham retired Arthur Chung as Guyana’s first ethnic Chinese President, to become Guyana’s first Executive President on that day.
Now David Granger talks about reducing the powers of the Presidency in the unlikely event that APNU wins the next election. Here’s the problem with that:
The politician that voluntarily gives up power does not exist. Robert Corbin would have been an ordinary citizen years ago if that was true. But assuming Granger to be a man of his word, who will he transfer these powers to?
If he becomes our next President, voters would have elected him because they believe David Granger to be best for the Guyanese people.
They would expect David Granger to determine the best way forward, not someone else he plans to transfer his powers to.
Would he remain President? Or would he get the National Assembly to approve another constitutional amendment making him Prime Minister with the powers of the Executive President? If so, what difference does a title make? What does is the person wielding the powers.
So who is the person that David Granger is so willing to share his powers with? Could it be an arrangement he has with Robert Corbin in exchange for his support?
Whoever his choice for the Prime Ministerial position, it is a thousand pities that a politically astute member of his APNU group, appears to be unappreciated and deliberately omitted from consideration.
Peter Ramsaroop is a young, talented and well qualified patriot who would normally be on anyone’s short list for that position. But he has three problems within the APNU: He’s an independent thinker; he is too frank and outspoken; and he’s a Guyanese of Indian descent.
If there is a person within that party of dinosaurs that can appeal to young voters, women and Indo-Guyanese, Peter Ramsaroop is the person best qualified to do so.
Who will Granger use to communicate with the young people he’s depending on, Dr. David Hinds? Not that this will change the outcome of a projected PPP/C victory, but it may very well determine who becomes Leader of the Opposition.
And right now, I’m hedging my bets on the Alliance For Change – AFC becoming the main opposition in Parliament. If Granger and Corbin have made no real effort to settle their difference with the members of the Murray camp apart from Carl Greenidge, how can anyone believe they will be less vindictive to members of the ruling party in a government of national unity if they win?
It therefore should surprise no one if APNU loses the likes of Dr. Richard Van West Charles and other members of the Winston Murray camp to the AFC, especially now that Raphael Trotman is back in the front passenger seat. Bets anyone?
Harry Gill
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