Jagdeo’s comments were inappropriate!

Feb 21, 2025 News

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Peeping Tom…

Kaieteur News-  Bharrat Jagdeo’s recent foray into public works management—a sector over which he holds no ministerial authority—is not merely a case of overreach; it is a flagrant violation of the principles of collective responsibility. It threatens to unravel the very fabric of Cabinet unity.

Let us begin with the facts, for they are damning enough. According to the Constitution of Guyana, a Vice President is, by definition, a Minister. This is not a suggestion, nor is it a mere formality; it is a constitutional mandate.

Yet, the Extraordinary Gazette of September 11, 2020, lists Bharrat Jagdeo as Vice President and a Member of Cabinet, with specific oversight responsibilities for finance, natural resources, and the environment. Noticeably absent from this list is any mention of public works. And yet, Jagdeo has seen fit to insert himself into the affairs of this Ministry, issuing criticisms of the management of public works sites.

By what authority does he do this? The Constitution grants him none. The President has bestowed none. So, from whence does this authority spring?

In one of his earlier press conferences, Jagdeo casually mentioned that he does not attend all Cabinet meetings. This admission raises serious questions about his role as Vice President since, in accordance with the Constitution, he is supposed to be a member of Cabinet and one will presume that attendance at such meetings is mandatory unless there is good cause for occasional absence.

But let us not stop there. Jagdeo’s recent comments on the management of public works sites are inappropriate. He has been quoted in numerous media outlets expressing dissatisfaction with the management of construction sites, citing a lack of order and the inconvenience caused to the public.

These comments are problematic on multiple levels. First, they are an implicit criticism of the Ministry of Public Works, a Ministry over which Jagdeo has no oversight. Second, they undermine the authority of the Minister responsible for public works, and, in my estimation, erodes confidence in the Ministry’s ability to manage its affairs. Third, and most egregiously, they violate the principle of collective responsibility, which holds that Cabinet members must publicly support all government decisions, even if they privately disagree with them.

Imagine, if you will, a scenario in which every Minister suddenly decided to speak out against matters outside their portfolio. The Minister of Education criticizing the handling of national security. The Minister of Health opining on foreign policy. The Minister of Agriculture issuing pronouncements on telecommunications. Chaos would ensue. Far more chaos than what results during public works projects.

The government would be reduced to a cacophony of conflicting voices, each vying for attention and authority. This is the Pandora’s box that Jagdeo has opened with his recent comments on the management of public works sites.

Whatever his motives, the consequences of his actions are clear. They are not helpful to his colleagues.

But let us also not forget the irony of Jagdeo’s criticisms. Public works projects, by their very nature, are disruptive. They are messy and can and do lead to inconvenience. This is true not only in Guyana but around the world.

Yet, when the Ministry of Public Works attempted to clear vendors from the Plaisance Line Top to make way for the widening of the roadway, it was Jagdeo who intervened, informing the vendors that they need not move immediately. This interference, though perhaps well-intentioned, only served to complicate the Ministry’s efforts.

In my opinion, it was an act of political grandstanding, a calculated move to curry favour with the vendors at the expense of the Ministry’s authority. And now, having meddled in the Ministry’s affairs, Jagdeo has the audacity to criticize its management. The hypocrisy is staggering.

There is, however, a more fundamental issue at play here. Cabinet collective responsibility is not a mere convention.  It ensures that the government speaks with one voice, that individual Ministers do not undermine Cabinet unity.

If Jagdeo is allowed to criticize the management of public works with impunity, what is to stop other Ministers from doing the same? What is to stop the government from descending into a free-for-all of public recriminations and infighting?

A government that cannot maintain discipline within its own ranks is a government that cannot effectively serve its people. It is a government that invites chaos, that fosters distrust, that undermines its own legitimacy. And for what?

It is time for the Minister of Public Works to put Jagdeo in his place. It is time for the President to rein in his Vice President and remind him of his overreach. It is time for the Cabinet to reaffirm its commitment to collective responsibility and hold Jagdeo accountable for his actions. The people of Guyana deserve nothing better.

(Jagdeo’s comments were inappropriate!)

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)                       

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• Bharrat Jagdeo’s, collective responsibility, flagrant violation, Member of Cabinet, Vice President

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