President: Conditional support is a ‘dangerous political culture to foster’

PULL QUOTE: “…what it will introduce will hurt poor people even more. It creates heavy lobbying into politics; and who will be able to lobby but those who have deep pockets’ – President Donald Ramotar
PRESIDENT Donald Ramotar on Saturday made the nexus between the Combined Opposition’s conditional support for the critically important Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AML/CFT) (Amendment) Bill and the democracy-undermining practice of lobbying, saying it’s “a dangerous political culture to foster.”He made the telling observation while speaking to the media at State House, where he explained that if the government were to give in to the Opposition’s every demand, it would spark a trend that is similar to what obtains in countries like the United States of America (USA), where stakeholders “with the deepest pockets” are the ones in whose interest elected officials act.

“It’s a moral dilemma; I am not saying that I will not do it, but I am just telling you that I have a moral issue sometimes with some of the problems coming up,” the President said, adding:
“What it will introduce will hurt poor people even more; it creates heavy lobbying into politics; and who will be able to lobby but those who have deep pockets.”
By way of explaining what he meant, President Ramotar said that with the practice under discussion having the potential of creating an opening for well-heeled stakeholders to buy politicians, the small man will always be at a disadvantage where influencing policy is concerned.
It’s a scenario the President is not at all happy with. “Looking down the road,” he said, “what do we see? That parliamentarians could be bought? It may solve issues now, but I believe we are introducing a dangerous trend.”
He made it clear that there is no need for a “quid pro quo” (Latin for ‘something for something’ that rather the AML/CFT Bill must be passed on its own merit.

IN WHOSE INTEREST?
As to whose interests the combined Opposition is protecting with their non-support of the AML/CFT (Amendment) Bill, he said: “Why should politicians say “No?” This was in obvious reference to transformational projects that would translate into improved standard of living for all Guyanese, and not only the supporters of the Ruling Party; projects such as the Specialty Hospital; the modernisation of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport (CJIA); and the harnessing of hydro-electricity from the Amaila Falls.

This year, some $910M for the Specialty Hospital was chopped from the National Budget, although monies for the project were supported under a previous year’s Budget and work has commenced. A 12-month contract has already been inked with consultant, VIKAB Engineering Consultants Limited, and contractor, Surendra Engineering Corporation Limited.
To date, the consultant was paid some $34.4M, and the contractor another $878.5M. The structural designs for the project have been completed, while the architectural designs are currently being reviewed. On site, physical progress has been seen on the essential site preparation are some 75 per cent completed. On the building foundations 361 piles have been supplied and 235 piles have been driven. Works are continuing.
The CJIA modernisation project was similarly treated, with $6.6B in funding cut in this year’s Budget. The Amaila Falls project saw a slightly different fate. In the 2014 Budget considerations, both APNU (A Partnership for National Unity) and the AFC (Alliance for Change) supported the allocation of $1.3B for the provision of the Amaila access road and related structures, under the Ministry of Public Works’ 2014 budgetary allocation.
However, the $16.8B for the actual project, which was listed under the Ministry of Finance’s 2014 allocation, was disapproved by the parties. President Ramotar’s position on the matter is that economies must serve the people, not vice versa, and with an expected saving of $9B in electricity subsidies, as well as savings on the $40B fuel bill, enormous contributions can be made to the infrastructural development, development particularly needed in Guyana’s hinterland to aid and accelerate economic progress.
Said he: “The Joint Opposition in Parliament is a technical majority. But do you think the people voted for them to come together and destroy the development of this country? I don’t think so.”
Meanwhile, the disadvantages of lobbying and nurturing lobbyists have been addressed in a number of books and articles.
In March this year, for instance, writers, Tamasin Cave and Andy Rowell, penned the disadvantages of lobbying in an article titled, ‘A Quiet Word: Lobbying, Crony Capitalism and Broken Politics’, and published by the Guardian.
According to the authors, “Lobbyists are the paid persuaders whose job it is to influence the decisions of government. Typically, they operate behind closed doors, through quiet negotiation with politicians. And the influence they enjoy is constructed very consciously, using a whole array of tactics.
“Lobbyists operate in the shadows; deliberately. As one lobbyist notes: ‘The influence of lobbyists increases when it goes largely unnoticed by the public.’ But if the reasons why companies lobby are often obscured, it is always a tactical investment. Whether facing down a threat to profits from a corporate tax hike, or pushing for market opportunities – such as government privatisations – lobbying has become another way of making money.”
The article went on to cite the top 10 pitfalls of this process.
Written By Vanessa Narine

excerpt from the Guyana Chronicle