Nothing changed from 2010

 

 

The Jagdeo-Corbin ‘secret talks’ are fueling the third term talk

Dear Editor,
I read Sir Ronald Sanders’ two installments on the topic, “The Politics of Leadership: Guyana and its Presidency,” (Kaieteur News, June 13 and June 20), and his views on the political state of play in Guyana are both welcomed and encouraged, if only because readers of the independent dailies crave intelligent perspectives, whether they be biased or balanced, and especially if they come from overseas-based Guyanese who are just as capable as Guyanese at home of analysing issues in Guyana. We need intelligent exchanges, even if we don’t always agree.
In his first installment, which produced nothing dramatically revealing, he kept true to the heading of his piece when he touched on the Bharrat Jagdeo presidency, the Robert Corbin-led PNC, the PPP and the AFC, with a view to assessing chances of the political parties at the 2011 elections and whether there is any truth to rumours of a third term deal for President Jagdeo with the help of the Corbin-led PNC.
Besides the President, it is way too early to start talking personalities for President without talking about a strong platform on which personalities can stand and articulate their views on issues.
We have to move away from personality-based politics not only to effect change, but to promote the prominence of systems and institutions over personalities and petty partisan and personality-based politics.
On the Jagdeo-Corbin political marriage ‘rumour’, Sir Ronald said it is ‘a most unlikely scenario’ since it ‘would place both Jagdeo and Corbin at serious odds with their own parties neither of which would tolerate a marriage in which the bride and bridegroom hold shotguns at the heads of the rival families.’
He further opined that ‘senior officials of the PPP are quick to point out that it was the PPP that amended the Constitution to institute the two-term limit on holders of the Presidency. They argue that the PPP could not credibly initiate or back amending its own constitutional amendment’.
Well, for Sir Ronald’s benefit, let me begin by saying that while the PPP leadership gave the presidency to Mr. Jagdeo, he has, for some time now, been running the government based on his own initiatives and not in accordance with any input or oversight from the PPP.
There were several tell tale signs of this, but none more potent than his dismissal of PPP matriarch, Janet Jagan, as just an ‘ordinary citizen’ when she publicly criticised his government’s withdrawal of state ads from SN and called for their reinstatement.
And as if to demonstrate he and the PPP were really at ‘serious odds’, he fired prominent PPP members who worked for the government and when the fired employees complained to the PPP, the party did nothing to help their cause.
It is clear to all, therefore, that President Jagdeo has carved himself a personal niche on the PPP political landscape that could allow him to use his executive powers as President to do anything he wants and no one in the PPP who could stop him. Also, based on the votes he received at the PPP’s last Congress, it is also clear to even his closest competitor that he is more popular, which could translate politically into recognition of his possible leadership of the party.
Put bluntly, despite his ineptitude as leader of a deeply corrupt government, President Jagdeo has to believe he is in the driver’s seat when it comes to controlling the government and the so-called ruling party, and so he can pretty much go for a third term by simply amending the Constitution.
He can do so with help from the PNCR in exchange for key government positions to the PNCR, which would likely be his secondary rather than primary plan, which is to take the reins of the PPP leadership.
With the next PPP Congress and elections due in 2011, I am anticipating an emergency PPP Congress before the general election to position the President for a take-over of the PPP.
If this happens, then a third term would be a cake-walk. If he is rebuffed for the PPP leadership, his secondary plan may kick in by resorting to Parliament for help, first, by ‘securing’ the backing of PPP MPs, and second, by ‘securing the backing of the PNCR.
At this juncture, he will not need the PPP, but like I said, he will need the PNCR, and this is where Mr. Corbin’s role comes into sharp focus.
After the death of Desmond Hoyte, Mr. Corbin adopted a drastically changed approach in the PNCR’s modus operandi viz a viz the PPP.
The Jagan-Hoyte talks that gave way to the Jagdeo-Hoyte talks (Hoyte refused to talk with Mrs. Jagan) gave way to the Jagdeo-Corbin talks, and all talks were held in secrecy with nothing substantive ever reported on what was discussed.
Over time, President Jagdeo became increasingly dictatorial. His own office became embroiled in corruption/stealing scandals, with the breaking of the law regarding the Lotto/Consolidated Funds arrangement reflecting a broader dissonance between the government and the role of the rule of law, thus allowing for the endemic spread of corruption in and out of government. And throughout all these disturbing developments, the PNCR, as the main opposition, appeared impotent to the point of seeming acquiescent. Add to all these disturbing manifestations the PNCR Leader’s forceful defence of his leadership of the PNCR from challengers and the first question that jumps at you is: Given the PNCR’s impotence, what’s in it for Mr. Corbin to fight to remain PNCR Leader?
The answer to this seems to lie in the still unknown issues he has been discussing with President Jagdeo, and based on a candid assessments/assumptions, the absence of hard facts have led many observers to conclude that the discussions more than likely relate to a third term arrangement for President Jagdeo with direct input from the PNCR.
Two interesting but related observations may also help us better understand the likelihood of this possible eventuality. First, whereas the original Cheddi Jagan-Desmond Hoyte dialogues were said to be inter-party based, with Jagan as head of the PPP and Hoyte as head of the PNC, the Jagdeo-Corbin talks are more government-opposition based, with Jagdeo as head of the government and Corbin as the leader of the main parliamentary opposition.
To the best of the public’s knowledge, after 1999, there were never teams from the government and the opposition or the PPP and PNCR meeting for talks. There were always between two people: Messrs. Jagdeo and Corbin. And even though Mr. Corbin reportedly said ‘note-takers’ were always present, the public has never been privy to the details of those notes. What’s up with all the secret talks between the President and the main Opposition Leader?
And second, after the 2006 elections, when the AFC gained six parliamentary seats, the President and the main Opposition Leader continued meeting for secret talks without the AFC being represented. If the talks have been about parliamentary issues, how can the AFC, a legitimate 0parliamentary party, get shut out? The only conclusion to jump to is that the President and the main Opposition Leader don’t want anyone to know what their plans are, and that’s why Mr. Corbin’s recent support for a coalition with (the AFC and) others have to be taken with ‘a grain of salt’.
I have at least one more installment in response to Sir Ronald, whom I must say, has exercised his right like hundreds of thousands of Guyanese to live in any country other than Guyana, even though he speaks glowingly about Guyana. “An economic basket case for 25 years since 1976, Guyana has moved from being a Highly Indebted Poor Country (HPIC) with little or no economic growth to steady growth today.” I wonder if Barbados-based Guyanese Sir Shridath Ramphal and Mr. Rickey Singh share this perspective, yet won’t go home.
Emile Mervin

The PPP's best friend is the Opposition.

Is this year 2014???   Ah getting old now I cant remember well. LAAD AH MERCY GIMME FAITH BHAGWAN!!

actually, it's the FAKE "opposition" of posers like you two that is the "PPP's best friend"

Eh Eh Keera mout meh na hear fram yu in wan wile.

My new Found Friend Nehru asked me to Ignore them 3 Fish Woman and their Dutty Behavior...I promise him I will hold my fire as long as his woman show some respect and do not behave like Dem other PNC Dutty Croch fish Vendor......who are known to set the stage for "Slow Fire...More Fire". XXXXXXXXX Nehru my friend If I continue to follow you Bhai.....one day I might end up on Lombard street and meet Dem 3 Pedigree PNC Supporters who you keep reminding me about......Nehru no fish can stink like Dem 3.
Nehru how DEm 3 New PNC Converts doing today?.....wha is de latest in Uncle Granger Camp????

u have permission to keep peltin wan wan pebble from de safety of the bushes . . .

 

i does only get vex when small-time punk like yuh mekk mistake and call meh name in yuh miserable group masturbation sessions wid de rest of yuh cackaroach coven

HEHE Leppa Mouth/Shit Mouth, Mahaica gat wan Wanted Poster out for you but for fear of being contaminated with Leppa and Shit they would have to look elsewhere for a Bounty Hunter.