KN editorial

THE HONEYMOON PERIOD HAS ENDED

The interplay between power, politics and personalities has been on display for the past fortnight in Parliament. It has been a show of coercive power and classical politics by all MPs.
Many in the Opposition believe that their attacks on the government were justified, given that, in their opinion, a number of Ministers were not forthright or clear in their statements, and the transparency which the coalition had fought for when it was in opposition has all but been discarded.
It is a fact that Ministers of the government, by virtue of their position or status have earned the right to change protocol or depart from tradition or Parliamentary procedures. But what they have not earned is the right to refuse to answer questions raised by the Opposition in Parliament. It seems lost on their minds that their substantive role as Ministers is to work together with the Opposition to help frame the laws that govern the country.
But when the people look at the image of their lawmakers in Parliament still consumed by petty differences, they know that Guyana is still heading for the abyss. With such behaviour, how can they expect the ordinary people to have any regard for the rule of law when they themselves are not bound by it?
And there are so many important issues to address. There is still no clarity as to the future of thousands of sugar workers and rice farmers. And while the bauxite industry continues to struggle, and as the price of gold tumbles on the world market, the government has on its plate the plight of the miners, who also face an uncertain future.
The nation could be in for a bumpy ride, because the budget did not outline any plans to prevent the possible flat-lining of the economy. This could spell disaster for the economy which has fallen from 3.2 percent in December 2014 to 0.9 percent in July. For instance for the Agriculture Minister to say that sugar will turn around by the end of the year, and for the Minister of Finance to forecast a GDP growth rate of 3.2, needs seeing to be believed.
Also, the perception that some Ministers have suddenly become very hard to reach or access for comment, compared to when they were in Opposition, does not bode well for the government’s image. Not only has this subtle, but worrying development been seen as a talking point, but added to that, it is also quite strange that since taking office more than three months ago, and having already made what appear to have been important foreign sojourns, the President has not yet held a press conference. President Ramotar was duly criticized for doing the same. This leader will have it no different.
While the government has been praised for fulfilling some of its 100-day promises, others have criticized it for its sloth. The truth is, no government has ever fulfilled all its campaign promises in 100 days. The PPP did not after being in power for 23 years.
Predictably, there has been much focus by the media on the methods of making points in Parliament. For instance, was the PPP’s action against changing the position of the penultimate speaker—the Leader of the Opposition—necessary? Even though it is a tradition?
And, instead of clearly limiting the Opposition to obviously inadequate time to discuss the budget estimates, the aim should have been to improve and expand participation for optimum output and results. It appears as though some in the new regime believe that the people are not watching. They are. This leads to a key lesson—one that the powers that be should know. Politicians should always be humble. It more often than not spells success. As a wise philosopher said, people get the government they deserve. The honeymoon period has ended. It is action time.