Former House Speaker Ralph Ramkarran says…Authoritarian political culture responsible for Amaila failure
Days after the developer and key partner, Sithe Global, pulled out from the Amaila Falls Hydro Project, former Speaker of the National Assembly Ralph Ramkarran has accused the administration of failing to hold healthy debate, and it was because of this that the Project became a victim of the country’s political culture.
“The new Cheddi Jagan Airport and the Specialty Hospital are now in jeopardy. It is not known how the PPP came about the idea that it can move these projects forward in the National Assembly without a far higher degree of collaboration and trust,” Ramkarran wrote in his weekly column posted on his website, conversationtree.gy, last evening.
Former Speaker Ralph Ramkarran
Blaming the “authoritarian political culture” for Amaila’s failure, Ramkarran who resigned last year after decades in the hierarchy of the PPP (People’s Progressive Party), said it is this culture that gave Guyana the Skeldon Factory, the new Cheddi Jagan Airport and the Specialty Hospital with no ‘healthy political debate’ or consultation, and “Amaila with initially little more than nominal disclosures.”
Government only made disclosures when the matter hit the National Assembly.
“These flowed more freely only when Opposition votes in the National Assembly became necessary. Amaila was conceived, planned, negotiated and announced without any consultation or ‘healthy political debate,’ first as a fait accompli, then followed by a scramble for ex post facto support from the Opposition,” Ramkarran noted.
He pointed out that over the past few weeks, in relation to Amaila, three significant issues were on the table. “The Opposition said that all their questions had not been answered, Sithe Global said that they will not proceed with the project unless there was national consensus, and legislation was pending in the National Assembly.”
Ramkarran also believed that the party erred at its Congress held in Berbice by criticizing the Opposition, accusing the parties of “dictatorial tendencies,” “vindictiveness,” “campaign of lies and slander,” “lies and deceit,” “arrogance,” “criminal connections,” trying to create “violence” and “mayhem.”
“Opposition’s support for the pending legislation, even if assurances were to have been given about the outstanding issues, could hardly be expected after this egregious political assault. This, of course, will not be acknowledged by the Opposition but does not gainsay the fact that they expressed concerns about several issues serious enough, they allege, to withhold their votes, despite extensive consultations with the Government, during which the latter claimed that all questions asked had been answered and the current issues were never raised.”
Ramkarran opined that the administration could be planning elections soon.
“This is speculation but there is no other rational explanation for its impolitic assault on the Opposition one week before one of the most important parliamentary votes in the history of Guyana when Opposition support is crucial. If this speculation is contradicted by efforts to persuade the Opposition to reverse its position, then the only other conclusion is that the PPP has been astonishingly reckless.”
The former Speaker urged that different political conditions since 2011 required thinking outside the political box. “Proposals for a new relationship with the Opposition based on greater and more structured collaboration could have ensured a more productive future. The Central Committee did not rise to the occasion. And the abuse was superfluous because the public had heard about the alleged perfidy of the Opposition ad nauseam for years and up to the very recent past.”
“Apart from the damage the attack will do to Government/Opposition relations, the intensification of gridlock and the creation of a lame duck Parliament and Government, no serious investors will engage Guyana in this political climate of intense friction which is now likely to get worse.
With the failure of Amaila, going to elections is the only feasible option for the PPP. This major defeat for the Government together with the poisonous political climate suggests that the increased political bloodletting will make the PPP and Government appear even weaker and will induce more apathy among its supporters. New elections will settle the issue of whether the loss of the absolute majority by the PPP in 2011 was a one-off event or whether it will, at least for a time, be a feature of our political architecture. If the former, we can expect a return to a past of short shrift being given to the Opposition and all other independent voices. If the latter, the PPP will find it difficult to continue to defy the popular will.”
