What’s good for the goose is good for the gander

By Khemraj Ramjattan All right-thinking Guyanese must view with alarm the ridiculous lengths to which the Ramotar Government is using Dr. Luncheon as the instrument of its neurotic and paranoid approach towards the US Democracy Project.

Khemraj Ramjattan

I have heard the US Ambassador and Dr. Luncheon on the matter of the extent of Government’s input and consultation into the project. There is no doubt that on this issue, the Ambassador’s case is far more compelling and cogent. Our Government as a whole and a number of its Ministers, individually, for years now, have been suffering from a deficit when it comes to being full and frank with the facts. But what could be the justification in not wanting to support a project such as this, which has increased participation of the citizenry in democracy-building, consensus-building in the National Assembly, funding for research and legal drafting skills for Parliamentarians, women and youth civic education festivals, and local government education and awareness? It could only be the downgrading of participatory democracy and the abandoning of a once loudly heralded PPP goal “No Development without Democracy”. This newfound political approach of confrontational diplomacy and harsh assailing of a most senior ranking diplomat from USA, smacks of a retrograde step into full-fledged authoritarianism. All Guyanese, and importantly, too, members in the USA diaspora, must speak out at this silly stance of the PPP Government. This project is expected to educate Guyanese on the sharing of responsibility for national development of the people and Government; and, to allow for a greater democratic participation from the country’s various stakeholders. It is patently clear that this is what the PPP Government does not want! It feels threatened by a heightened democracy that can result from a successful implementation of this project. And like the worst of scoundrels, who seek refuge in sovereignty, it is protesting that this wholly commendable and widely acceptable project is but an intolerable interference in the internal affairs of Guyana by the USA. This PPP Government must know by now that this shameless lashing out and wild wailing directed at the USA will not see its purpose of drumming up anti-American hysteria go anywhere. It ought to know that these days are not the Cold War 1960s, but a wholly changed time which demands intelligent diplomacy and concerted support for such a good project coming from the most powerful democratic country on earth, and from a country which in the 1990s helped restore one-man one-vote and free and fair elections in Guyana after two decades of rigged elections. This Government must also appreciate that free and fair elections do not alone constitute democracy. It is an important ingredient, but in addition, there must be good and accountable governance and grassroots participation. These other two ingredients, undoubtedly, are what this US Democracy Project is all about. I wish to commend the fearless stance taken by Ambassador Hardt in confronting publicly Dr Luncheon. I hope, too, that the US State Department will swiftly make short shrift of that unwarranted Note the Government has seen fit to serve it. And that the Democracy Project will continue to completion. Dr Luncheon somewhat let his guard down when he argued that his Government finds most objectionable this US Democracy project giving public support to political parties. This he argues is so because Guyana’s laws do not provide for state funding and moreso foreign funding to political parties. This is hypocrisy to the hilt. And that is why I call this Government a pack of control-freaks and archdukes of unprincipledom. Luncheon and the new sultanate in the PPP must ask themselves the question, when the PPP used to be funded by the USSR and communist countries for the substantial duration of its existence whilst in Opposition, whether this was not foreign funding of the PPP. What’s good for the goose apparently is not good for the gander these days. A whole host of PPP personnel were given short term scholarships to study Marxism and Leninism in universities in Prague and Moscow and Havana. A number of others were given long term scholarships to be medical doctors and economists and journalists and engineers. Former President Jagdeo, Dr Anthony, Dr Ramsaran and hundreds of others benefitted from this foreign funding of PPP members. This kind of foreign funding, which also included a printing press from East Germany and huge amounts of roubles, made the PPP what it was and managed to sustain it during Burnham’s tyrannical years. Indeed, when the AFC’s delegation was consulted on this project late last year and earlier this year, it was made clear to us that this US Democracy Project will not permit any funding of political parties. We were very disappointed at this. Liberal democratic parties like the AFC ought to be given every ounce of support from whatever legitimate source, lest we be crushed out of existence. Just like how the communist States gave support to communist parties like the PPP! It is only fair and a balancing out of that advantage given historically to older, more entrenched political parties.