No big deal! Its just a draft.
A View Point by Michael Gordon.
Over the last two weeks, there has been, as we
put it in Guyanese paradigms, a big hue and a cry, over the publication
of the World Bank's draft opinion on the issue of Governance,
as seen in the eyes of the opposition.
Some people, especially politicians in opposition quarters and
those sympathetic to their cause, insist in not referring to the
past. Rather, they insisted that deliberations be forward looking.
Though that might be politically deliberate on their part, I am
diametrically opposed to that view.
Scientifically, the true outcome of a work in progress, that is
a developing Guyana, cannot be realised unless trends are established.
The study of trends is the investigation of someone or something's
inclination to tend to take a particular direction. Notwithstanding,
that person or thing must have begun somewhere, is currently somewhere
and is tended to end up somewhere.
Poor Governance seems to be the big transgression by the Government
of Guyana in the eyes of some, and I dare I say, those that are
saturated with pessimism. The Draft World Bank document seemingly
lends credence to that mindset. However, many have deliberately
deleted from their minds that this is not a final position of
the World Bank.
Let's ask ourselves. What was the situation, as it relates to
inclusivity in Governance in the 1970's, 1980's and early 1990's?
What is the state of inclusive Governance today? Has it improved?
Or has it declined? And with the established trend, what is it
likely to be by 2010?
Prior to 1992, Dr. Cheddi Jagan fought tirelessly for the restoration
of Democracy, among other things, in this dear land of ours. That
goal he achieved in 1992. One of the other things he fought for
is inclusive Governance. He even fought for the name of Minority
Leader to be changed to Opposition Leader. Ladies and Gentlemen,
the world-over knew then, and still knows now, that Cheddi Jagan
did not represent a minority in Guyana. But both the Burnham and
Hoyte strong-arm Administrations ensured that that title remained.
It was only after they, that is, the PNC were in opposition, that
they agreed with Dr. Jagan's calls.
Many of Dr. Jagan's proposals and recommendations were met with
mere strong-arm dictatorial disdain. The shoe now, is on the other
foot and the general attitude toward such schools of thought among
by the boys at Sophia has changed.
In Guyana, there is now more inclusivity in Governance. Even the
Leader of a Parliamentary opposition party, sits at the Cabinet
level. The President and the new Leader of the Opposition have
been churning out joint statement after joint statement on a number
of issues of national interest. Never before, in the history of
Guyana, has the Leader of the Opposition, graced the halls of
the office of the President in a prolonged process of dialogue,
as frequently as Robert Corbin has. President Jagdeo has been
gentlemanly enough to invite Corbin to discuss and decide on issues
that, if not addressed, can lead to continued ethnic and social
insecurity.
This is indicative of a conscientious effort by Government, to
govern not just some, but all. Examine the new Parliamentary structure,
and the reduced powers of the President from what the Guyanese
Supremo, Burnham designed it to be.
I wish to state for the record that the article published in the
Stabroek News two Sundays ago, failed to mention that the document
being quoted, was not the final nor the complete document. It
is as if one takes a magnifying glass and places it on a page
of a book. Only the part that you are desirous of being magnified
will be enlarged. That is what Stabroek News seems to have done
with the World Bank Consultant's draft.
Even the World Bank has now come out in its own defense about
the misrepresentation of the document. One just needs to visit
the World Bank website and read the country review on Guyana.
And of course, Guyana's situation cannot be taken in isolation,
but in the context of the Region. The World Bank website categorises
this Region as Latin America and the Caribbean. And by comparison,
in terms of Governance and Guyana's achievement relating to the
"Millennium Development Goals" (MDG's), this country
has been performing creditably.
Even low overall rates of savings are not unique to Guyana. It
is what economists would refer to as a HED, a Hemispheric Economic
Deficiency. The average rate of savings in Latin America and the
Caribbean is 20 percent of the Gross Domestic Product.
Many of the deficiencies experienced by countries of this region
are indeed not unique to individual states.
Guyana's National Assembly, in recent years, moreso, in recent
months, has emerged as possibly the model legislature of the Region.
This lends credence to Guyana being regarded by some as a pioneer
in the process of inclusive Governance, dispelling any myth that
can be created by such a report.
TOP
Tuesday,
September 23, 2003