PPP leaders must have the wisdom, courage, and humility to consult

Aug 19, 2023 Letters

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Dear Editor,

It was with some surprise that I noted the recent statement by our Hon. Attorney General to the effect that power-sharing and shared governance in our circumstances is not an option. In a real sense, he is correct. From the time of the Greeks, the Romans, Oriental and African dynasties and empires, sharing of power has presented difficulties. The idea of power sharing at the local and global levels is in essence the challenge of democracy and the realization of good governance. A government that does not ignore the wishes, plight and the conditions of sections of society that may not be considered in line or supportive of the ruling group, class or political party is the problem that is facing Guyana.

As I understand it, all that the parties out of office require is the satisfying of the requirements and essence of our Constitution and the realization of good governance… i.e., meaningful, and appropriate consultations on important matters. The AG seemed confused since he proceeded to mention the case of the appointment of the Chancellor and Chief Justice and let me deal therefore with this example. I recalled at a public forum, the present Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Aubrey Norton, stated that he saw no difficulty with the two persons acting in their aforementioned positions being confirmed. All that is, therefore, necessary is for the President to consult with  the Leader of the Opposition so that this hurdle of the appointment of a Chancellor and Chief Justice can be overcome and done with.

But Editor, beyond the public statement by the Leader of the Opposition, Mr. Norton wrote to the President on this issue. Up to yesterday, Thursday, when I spoke to Mr. Norton, there was neither an acknowledgement nor a reply. I can only, therefore, assume that there is a serious disconnect at the level of the Chief Legal Advisor to the President and the President himself. This reference by the AG is disingenuous, deceptive and perhaps dishonest.  Had I been a schoolteacher, I would mark the AG’s paper a ‘D’ equivalent to failure. The AG must say publicly why the appointments of the two ladies have not happened and perhaps let him tell us the real story.

The news item states as follows: – “Lack of consensus on critical issues such as the appointment of a substantive Chancellor of the Judiciary and Chief Justice is clear indication that Government and Opposition in Guyana are in no position to cooperate on the matter of shared governance.” Our Head of the Bar, even to an ordinary layman like myself, is guilty of ‘reductio ad absurdum,’ a state of mind unworthy of my country’s Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs. All that we ask is for the AG and his colleagues to be faithful to the words they repeated when taking office, that is, to honour and respect the Laws and Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

The lynchpin of our laws and constitution is that the Head of State consults with the Opposition. Since this is not happening, it makes a mockery of what our democracy is all about and a travesty of the President’s recent invention of One Guyana. It is clear that our AG and others know little of our political experiences and therefore speak ex-cathedra without that knowledge, without that history and without experiences. Many of us have been pleading with the PPP Administration to, at least, listen and therefore learn how to lead. But sadly, editor and citizens, what we see is a massaging and manipulation of democracy. It is true that democracy can be a chameleon word, meaning different things to different people. In Guyana, the separation of powers between the legislature, executive and the judiciary constitutes the viability of our society. Unfortunately, the legislature has been reduced to no more than a talk-shop where rational thought is non-existent and proposals by the Opposition, no matter how reasonable, are ignored and the Executive seems to be the beginning and end, the alpha and omega of all things. All this is worsened by efforts to make the Police Force the handmaiden of the Government.

The AG, the President, and the Commanders of State must relieve themselves of this pettiness and proclivity to move towards the old dictatorship technique. If the AG and the ruling elite are serious about making our country a wholesome democracy, they must have the wisdom to consult, they must have the courage to consult, they must have the humility to consult, i.e. if they understand the urgent need in Guyana’s condition today, for this and succeeding generations to be the beneficiaries of our magnificent resources.

Mr. AG, encourage your colleagues to sit and talk, talk so we can deal with the real or perceived concerns affecting our citizens, citizens represented by your party and other parties. Mr. AG, Mr. President, it’s only this act of Statesmanship will allow us to put an end to this unhelpful rhetoric and so bequeath to succeeding generations a country that is truly Good, Green and Great which simply means (1) morally sound and incorruptible, (2) a green economy, true champions of the earth, development without damaging the environment and third, a country respected by all, at home and abroad. That is all that the Good, Green and Great Guyana means.

I am an optimist and hope that this letter will take us one step to realize the dreams and hopes of our children and vindicate the sufferings and humiliation of our noble fore parents. Of interest, this letter is written on the week celebrating the 200 years of the Demerara Slave Uprising.

Yours truly,

Hamilton Green

Elder

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• Attorney General, consult, courage, Hamilton Green, wisdom

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