The political opposition has acted irresponsibly

November 10, 2013, By chris, Filed Under Features / Columnists, My Column, Source

Everyone in Guyana knows that the country does not have an amended anti-money laundering Bill. To the ordinary man this has nothing to do with him, because for the greater part, he has no money. In the eyes of many people, those who have to worry are those with tons of money that they have to move around.

But people like me who work in the media knew that it was important that there be this anti-money laundering Bill before the world fell in on us. I had cause to examine this issue when I thought about remittances coming for those Guyanese who get that small change from their relatives and friends overseas. There was some talk that the sanctions being peddled were grossly exaggerated. I am going to find out.

I attended post-Cabinet press briefings and listened to the government side of the issue. I heard that the opposition was engaging in delaying tactics. I was apt to believe. This Bill went to Parliament in April and to the select committee in May. Then there were the meetings that were sporadic at best. But I noticed that at no time in that select committee did the government say that the amendments tabled in Parliament came from the Caribbean Financial Action Task Force and that the very amendments were given to the other Caribbean territories that needed such legislation.
Guyana seemed to be the only country in the region that had a problem with the Bill.

Today, I sit and I ask myself how is it that one group of people would put an entire country at risk. Assuming that there would be sanctions, and I am convinced that there would be, of what political advantage to one side could that be. It is not that the voters are going to say that the government screwed up and therefore they, the voters, are going to make them pay.

I did write that the political opposition could feel the backlash of the people if they do not get that remittance that they expect from the United States. But this is more than remittance. Every business that needs to import material would be affected and the opposition forces had to know this.

Newspaper plants need ink, paper, plates and so many other things. Motor cars on the roads need spare parts which are all imported. Fuel must be paid for and the list goes on. The political opposition must have taken these things in stride, so I cannot understand the negative vote.

If there is the view that the Private Sector Commission was toadying up to the government by way of its petition for a positive vote, I must say that they knew what they were doing; they were seeing the fallout of a negative vote.
I cannot spare the government, because I am convinced that it did not do enough to hurry the vote along. Perhaps it took too much for granted.

When President Donald Ramotar announced the tabling of amendments to the Public Procurement Act with a view to appeasing the Alliance For Change, I thought that it was a small concession coming a little too late. Then I questioned the seriousness of the government wanting this anti-money laundering Bill passed.

But I reserve my harshest criticisms for the opposition. This is the fate of the country. If there can be no bank transfers without question, then I must ask what happens to online shopping. I cannot use my debit card when I go on vacation if the banks cease doing business with Guyana.

But even here, the time will come when we could see a halt to vehicle imports and spares. So we could see an escalation in the volume of car thefts. There was a time when people would hijack a car and kill the driver then sell the car to people who were only willing to buy for a pittance.

I am not too worried about food imports. I lived through the period when Forbes Burnham, with no money, asked the people to undertake what he called import substitution. The result is that we have a salt fish industry, preserved shrimp industry, food seasonings like eschallot, thyme and a host of condiments that we once ignored.

Apples and grapes and those delicacies no longer titillate my palate. Salt beef is produced in Guyana and canned corned beef, sardines, salmon and the like are not my cup of tea. But there are those things that Guyana would need. Electricity supply is tenuous. Am I to live in darkness because the power company cannot import replacement turbines?

I propose to really find out from the opposition the reason for the negative vote. I was once told a story that changed United States jurisprudence.  It was said that a man so hated his neighbour that he confessed to a murder and implicated his neighbour.  Both were innocent, but the law being what it is, accepted the confession of this better man.

He and his neighbour were hanged and it was only after the execution that the authorities realized that they had killed two innocent men. I do not want to believe that the opposition parties are heading to the gallows with so much hate that they are taking the government with them.

But that is all destructive. We the ordinary people do not need to be in this position. Explanations for this suicidal position are in order.  And I want Dr Ashni Singh to take note of how people feel when others use power indiscriminately.