by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 12 September 2006)
Stella Says…Now Showing in a Theatre near you, "The folly of the politician"
It never ceases to amaze me when I see politicians act like they have no more common sense than an elephant. Minor episodes of bad judgement can be, and often are, overlooked by a forgiving public. Like when Khemraj Ramjattan did not take my advice and shave his beard. If this party leader was not instrumental in pulling in many votes for the AFC votes, I bet it was due in large part to that blasted beard.
The major mistakes by political leaders sometime border absolute idiocy. This past week has been chucked full of foolhardy decisions, which are particularly disheartening given that we are just two weeks into a brand new term. One would think that it would have taken at least a month before the nation's leaders made any glaringly reckless or impulsive decisions.
However, since these politicians insist on making my job so easy by opening the door wide to a critical analysis of their folly, I will respectfully oblige their invitation and examine two very illogical political moves.
Firstly, there was the AFC's decision to disregard its platform of ethnic balance in appointing those who will represent the party in Parliament. I am not referring to the fact that the AFC leaders obviously angered the wrong person when they chose to omit Gaumatie Singh, who displayed all the statesmanship and poise of a cat with its tail on fire when she did not get her promised seat.
That situation may have been a time bomb just waiting to explode and it seems Trotman attempted to handle the aftermath in the most diplomatic way possible. Too bad they were not quick enough to squelch that fire before it even started (sigh). However, the AFC's big blunder was in not foreseeing how the public would react when it did not take more care to portray an overt attempt at racial balance in appointing its parliamentarians.
This is a colossal gaffe the AFC cannot afford to make at such an early juncture. If this new party truly wishes to be viewed as a party for all Guyanese, then it would have been critical to further this image by its choice of parliamentarians that appear to represent the general makeup of the population.
On the heels of such a huge victory for a third party in Guyana, the AFC should be walking softly and not leaving critical aspects of Guyanese politics – such as race – open for speculation. Yet this is exactly what they have done less than two weeks into the term. Perception is everything in politics and the AFC really dropped the ball on this one.
According to the alleged email exchange between Singh and Trotman, which was made public, the person who was chosen to serve instead of Singh received the position to make sure she was receiving a wage. In other words, the AFC potentially sacrificed their entire image and may have compromised the trust of their constituency just to make sure one person was on the payroll.
I suppose we should just be happy they have their own legitimate seats in which to fight over and that they are no longer highjacking seats from another party.
Speaking of another party, the President did seem to understand that the people wanted some new faces in the Cabinet, but I'm just not sure he changed all of the right faces. Those who were appointed to the Cabinet tells us so much of what we can expect from the PPP during the next five years, just as much as those who were clearly omitted.
Just when we started to think this term would be Jagdeo's time to shine, just when we thought this time around things might be different, just when we were being drawn in by the lure of the "inclusiveness" propaganda – we find that we are right back where we left off last term and that nothing has really changed at all.
It is these types of decisions made by politicians that boggle my mind. For example, Clement Rohee has not displayed an exceptional performance in any of his previous ministerial appointments. Therefore, it seems a bit ironic that Rohee, who has a healthy share of speculative accusations flying about, is replacing the one person who stood up to the drug lords as Home Affairs Minister, Gail Teixeira.
So much for my optimistic faith for clean and accountable leaders, eh? The funniest part of Jagdeo's new Cabinet is that Robert Montgomery Persaud, MBA is now the Minister of Agriculture. Does anyone else remember that photo of Mr. MBA knee-deep in mud after last year's flood while some kindly citizens tried to help him out?
I sure hope he can handle the job and I do wish him well, but I am going to miss him so very much. I hope the Information Liaison replacement is just as entertaining as he has been.
Sometimes I really do not know what goes on inside the head of politicians. It is as if they completely lose all grip on reality and toss their common sense into the trash just before taking office. Or perhaps they just get so arrogant that they forget those for whom they serve and make their decisions based on all sorts of other factors except the most important one – what is best for the people of the nation.
In any case, this term promises to be tons of fun for all. Stay tuned for the showing of "The folly of the politician." It is sure to be along very soon.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Stella Says…How will the re-election of the PPP affect women for the next five years?
by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 9 September 2006)
After considering the ramifications of the PPP's recent election victory on the nation's general population, my first and foremost thought always returns to the women of Guyana. As such, I think it is important to consider the implications of what another five years of PPP rule will have on the female half of the population.
For example, in America, another term with the Bush administration basically stalls most of the progress that should be taking place for women. There have been some small victories here and there, but this president's administration, and his party, work hard to make sure women have not gone too far from where they were in 2000 when the Republicans took over the White House.
In Guyana, there are some celebratory aspects as well as some vital areas of concern with the re-election of the PPP. On a positive note, the PPP does not seem to be hesitant about putting women in decision-making roles. It seems we can anticipate a healthy number of women in leadership roles again for Jagdeo's new Administration, which he has done in past terms as well.
The new Cabinet appointees still do not add up to a 50/50 split or anywhere close to actually representing the number of women in population at large; however, Guyana's record in this regard is typically higher than most other countries and that alone is a reason to celebrate.
I have to say (once again) that although I supported Bibi Shadick and her work with women's issues in Guyana, I was emphatically disappointed by how badly she recently handled a very sensitive case when some young women charged some well-to-do young men with sexual misconduct.
Up to this point, the PPP had been making some measurable progress on women's issues with Shadick at the helm. This included new legislation that raised the legal age of consent from a mere 13 years old to a more reasonable 16 years of age. In fact, there have been various programmes and government sponsored organisations started under the PPP to address women's issues.
This is in stark contrast to the PNCR-1G, who kindly sent me a draft of their crime strategy last December for review. However, they absentmindedly forgot to include any programmes in their initiative to protect women, discourage domestic abuse or create stricter legislation that would send a clear message to rapists and women abusers.
Having pointed out the positive aspects of the PPP regarding women's issues, there is another side to the story. On paper, the PPP's track record looks promising for women, but in real life, there are some glaring discrepancies that should be addressed in the upcoming term.
Domestic abuse is still a very alarming problem in Guyana. It is very disturbing to see the amount of disregard new mothers receive from their healthcare providers in the medical facilities. Absentee dads leave so many women all alone to rear the children and provide for the family without any help. Rapists are very seldom caught, and when they are, they get a slap on the wrist, which is basically an invitation to rape again.
Sexual abuse is a very real fear for girls and can come from a total stranger, a friend of the family or even a family member. Although it is not gender specific, the quality of education afforded to young women is also an important matter. On top of everything else, there are still remnants of the "boys club" mentality that slams the doors of opportunity on intelligent women and sexually harasses those they do hire for "female" jobs.
My point is that although gender equality is slowly becoming a generally accepted concept, and although the government has taken some meagre steps to address the progress of gender specific issues, there is still a cavernous gap that distinguishes men from women in their everyday lives.
Until some positive results from the various programmes and women's organisations created by the PPP spill over into real life, there cannot be any claim of actual progress on women's issues. The establishment of these initiatives alone does not change the climate of gender discrimination if the government does not act in accordance with their own women's issues agenda.
In other words, the PPP needs to do more than just talk the talk on women's issues in the upcoming term. They need to walk the walk. This does not include appointing a minister who will negate all of the hard work the party has put into women's issues by making statements that further victimise women.
What can we expect from the PPP in the next five years? Since they have not invited me to their brainstorming sessions (I guess that means I didn't get that job as the new Information Liaison. Darn!), I cannot say what they have in store for women in the next five years.
However, I am hopeful that with a change of guards in the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, there will also be a change of focus that encompasses more than just the obligatory response to the international community on this subject. It would be nice to see the PPP initiate some real progress on women's issues that will help reshape the gender discriminating socialisation that preys on half of the nation's population.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 9 September 2006)
After considering the ramifications of the PPP's recent election victory on the nation's general population, my first and foremost thought always returns to the women of Guyana. As such, I think it is important to consider the implications of what another five years of PPP rule will have on the female half of the population.
For example, in America, another term with the Bush administration basically stalls most of the progress that should be taking place for women. There have been some small victories here and there, but this president's administration, and his party, work hard to make sure women have not gone too far from where they were in 2000 when the Republicans took over the White House.
In Guyana, there are some celebratory aspects as well as some vital areas of concern with the re-election of the PPP. On a positive note, the PPP does not seem to be hesitant about putting women in decision-making roles. It seems we can anticipate a healthy number of women in leadership roles again for Jagdeo's new Administration, which he has done in past terms as well.
The new Cabinet appointees still do not add up to a 50/50 split or anywhere close to actually representing the number of women in population at large; however, Guyana's record in this regard is typically higher than most other countries and that alone is a reason to celebrate.
I have to say (once again) that although I supported Bibi Shadick and her work with women's issues in Guyana, I was emphatically disappointed by how badly she recently handled a very sensitive case when some young women charged some well-to-do young men with sexual misconduct.
Up to this point, the PPP had been making some measurable progress on women's issues with Shadick at the helm. This included new legislation that raised the legal age of consent from a mere 13 years old to a more reasonable 16 years of age. In fact, there have been various programmes and government sponsored organisations started under the PPP to address women's issues.
This is in stark contrast to the PNCR-1G, who kindly sent me a draft of their crime strategy last December for review. However, they absentmindedly forgot to include any programmes in their initiative to protect women, discourage domestic abuse or create stricter legislation that would send a clear message to rapists and women abusers.
Having pointed out the positive aspects of the PPP regarding women's issues, there is another side to the story. On paper, the PPP's track record looks promising for women, but in real life, there are some glaring discrepancies that should be addressed in the upcoming term.
Domestic abuse is still a very alarming problem in Guyana. It is very disturbing to see the amount of disregard new mothers receive from their healthcare providers in the medical facilities. Absentee dads leave so many women all alone to rear the children and provide for the family without any help. Rapists are very seldom caught, and when they are, they get a slap on the wrist, which is basically an invitation to rape again.
Sexual abuse is a very real fear for girls and can come from a total stranger, a friend of the family or even a family member. Although it is not gender specific, the quality of education afforded to young women is also an important matter. On top of everything else, there are still remnants of the "boys club" mentality that slams the doors of opportunity on intelligent women and sexually harasses those they do hire for "female" jobs.
My point is that although gender equality is slowly becoming a generally accepted concept, and although the government has taken some meagre steps to address the progress of gender specific issues, there is still a cavernous gap that distinguishes men from women in their everyday lives.
Until some positive results from the various programmes and women's organisations created by the PPP spill over into real life, there cannot be any claim of actual progress on women's issues. The establishment of these initiatives alone does not change the climate of gender discrimination if the government does not act in accordance with their own women's issues agenda.
In other words, the PPP needs to do more than just talk the talk on women's issues in the upcoming term. They need to walk the walk. This does not include appointing a minister who will negate all of the hard work the party has put into women's issues by making statements that further victimise women.
What can we expect from the PPP in the next five years? Since they have not invited me to their brainstorming sessions (I guess that means I didn't get that job as the new Information Liaison. Darn!), I cannot say what they have in store for women in the next five years.
However, I am hopeful that with a change of guards in the Ministry of Human Services and Social Security, there will also be a change of focus that encompasses more than just the obligatory response to the international community on this subject. It would be nice to see the PPP initiate some real progress on women's issues that will help reshape the gender discriminating socialisation that preys on half of the nation's population.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
Friday, September 08, 2006
Stella Says…It is time to clean house
by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 7 September 2006)
There are times, when our attention is required somewhere else, that our routine responsibilities inadvertently get neglected. For example, I recently had a bad infection that required me to rest a lot and kept me from physically doing certain daily activities.
After about a week of this, I looked around to find I was overwhelmed by all of these responsibilities that on a normal basis are just a matter of routine maintenance. The most pressing issues for me right now are firstly that my email inbox is full of unanswered emails and secondly my laundry is piling up.
Paul is great with doing his share of the household chores and would have normally helped with the laundry, but he was out of town all of last week and as far as my emails, there is no one else that can respond to my emails but me.
On Tuesday, I finally felt strong enough to get these items in hand. I decided to start with the laundry and it is almost done now. However, my emails remain unanswered to date and continue to come in. I suppose I will have to make the time to attend to them as well within the next day or so.
I cannot help but think that President Jagdeo must feel a bit overwhelmed about the start of his new term too. There so many (so very many) issues that should have been maintained on a routine basis, but have become overwhelming tasks that would be daunting even to the most optimistic hard worker.
To name just a few, there is the crime situation, the paltry economy, a beleaguered work force, an outdated Constitution, a growing movement among the citizens to privatise the radio and an educational system that has been neglected for so long that it is becoming a real embarrassment to the nation.
There are times when we can be so overwhelmed by the tasks requiring our attention that we simply do not know where to start. For example, my daughter tries her best to keep her room clean. However, she falls way short by our standards and every so often Paul will help her get it organised and cleaned up again.
It could be overwhelming if he just looked at the room all at one time with books, artwork, toys and clothes in all directions. Instead of being overwhelmed, he simply goes after one area at a time and works until it is done, then he moves on to the next area.
I have employed this same strategy many times in life. At one point I had four children, all under the age of five, and often needed to find the most effective way of conquering even the simplest of tasks such as bath time or nightly homework.
Life is much less demanding for me now with just one child left at home, but perhaps the PPP could use this straightforward method to address the many (so very many) matters that they have let get out of control in the past few years (terms).
We can call this method the "Paul Housecleaning Method" and I know just the place to start first – the educational system. The dilapidated state of the educational system is no secret and it is good to know that at least a little progress has been made on building repairs (though many students have been misplaced in the meantime).
However, the educational system needs so much more than just a few repairs on its physical structures. The entire educational process needs to be addressed, including the curriculum, the testing procedures and teacher recruitment and pay increases.
If the President and his soon-to-be appointed Cabinet are feeling overwhelmed at the many (so very many) issues that have gotten out of hand and are needing some guidance on where to start, perhaps the educational system would be the best place to start cleaning house.
The students of today, from primary school all the way through university, are the nation's leaders of tomorrow. These are the people who will be leading the nation and starting businesses. They need every academic advantage that can be afforded to them as soon as possible.
The longer it takes for this issue to be addressed, the more children that are lost to sentiments of failure and neglect. Guyana can ill afford to lose even one more family to migration or one more child to the drug lords because he/she feels that way of life is the only way to make any money in the country.
As the President cleans house in his Cabinet in the next few days (and I say a hearty good riddance), he will no doubt be considering the first steps that should be taken in this new term. If he does employ the "Paul Housecleaning Method" to tackle the many (so very many) issues he overlooked last term, I am confident he will have this country in tip top shape in no time at all.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 7 September 2006)
There are times, when our attention is required somewhere else, that our routine responsibilities inadvertently get neglected. For example, I recently had a bad infection that required me to rest a lot and kept me from physically doing certain daily activities.
After about a week of this, I looked around to find I was overwhelmed by all of these responsibilities that on a normal basis are just a matter of routine maintenance. The most pressing issues for me right now are firstly that my email inbox is full of unanswered emails and secondly my laundry is piling up.
Paul is great with doing his share of the household chores and would have normally helped with the laundry, but he was out of town all of last week and as far as my emails, there is no one else that can respond to my emails but me.
On Tuesday, I finally felt strong enough to get these items in hand. I decided to start with the laundry and it is almost done now. However, my emails remain unanswered to date and continue to come in. I suppose I will have to make the time to attend to them as well within the next day or so.
I cannot help but think that President Jagdeo must feel a bit overwhelmed about the start of his new term too. There so many (so very many) issues that should have been maintained on a routine basis, but have become overwhelming tasks that would be daunting even to the most optimistic hard worker.
To name just a few, there is the crime situation, the paltry economy, a beleaguered work force, an outdated Constitution, a growing movement among the citizens to privatise the radio and an educational system that has been neglected for so long that it is becoming a real embarrassment to the nation.
There are times when we can be so overwhelmed by the tasks requiring our attention that we simply do not know where to start. For example, my daughter tries her best to keep her room clean. However, she falls way short by our standards and every so often Paul will help her get it organised and cleaned up again.
It could be overwhelming if he just looked at the room all at one time with books, artwork, toys and clothes in all directions. Instead of being overwhelmed, he simply goes after one area at a time and works until it is done, then he moves on to the next area.
I have employed this same strategy many times in life. At one point I had four children, all under the age of five, and often needed to find the most effective way of conquering even the simplest of tasks such as bath time or nightly homework.
Life is much less demanding for me now with just one child left at home, but perhaps the PPP could use this straightforward method to address the many (so very many) matters that they have let get out of control in the past few years (terms).
We can call this method the "Paul Housecleaning Method" and I know just the place to start first – the educational system. The dilapidated state of the educational system is no secret and it is good to know that at least a little progress has been made on building repairs (though many students have been misplaced in the meantime).
However, the educational system needs so much more than just a few repairs on its physical structures. The entire educational process needs to be addressed, including the curriculum, the testing procedures and teacher recruitment and pay increases.
If the President and his soon-to-be appointed Cabinet are feeling overwhelmed at the many (so very many) issues that have gotten out of hand and are needing some guidance on where to start, perhaps the educational system would be the best place to start cleaning house.
The students of today, from primary school all the way through university, are the nation's leaders of tomorrow. These are the people who will be leading the nation and starting businesses. They need every academic advantage that can be afforded to them as soon as possible.
The longer it takes for this issue to be addressed, the more children that are lost to sentiments of failure and neglect. Guyana can ill afford to lose even one more family to migration or one more child to the drug lords because he/she feels that way of life is the only way to make any money in the country.
As the President cleans house in his Cabinet in the next few days (and I say a hearty good riddance), he will no doubt be considering the first steps that should be taken in this new term. If he does employ the "Paul Housecleaning Method" to tackle the many (so very many) issues he overlooked last term, I am confident he will have this country in tip top shape in no time at all.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Stella Says…Will the AFC become another deadbeat opposition party?
by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 5 September 2006)
There is a phrase used when people talk about a father who neglects his responsibilities as a parent. We call that person a deadbeat dad. However, it often seems as if Guyana has had the same type of problem when it comes to their representation from opposition parties.
There were so many times in the last year that I wondered time and again about the very existence of Guyana's primary opposition party, a group that represented almost half of the nation's population last term. This is most bothersome since it negates the accountability factor that is vital in any healthy democracy.
I know all of the excuses for this apparent apathy from the PNC last term. I have heard them all. The PPP will not let them do anything to upstage the sitting government. The PPP will not give them money. The PPP is mean and bad and plays ugly.
While all of this might very well be true, there is still absolutely no reason for the PNC to leave its constituency out in the cold simply because the PPP has been incapable or unwilling to conform to its role as a democratic government.
I can think of so many ways the PNC could have been true to its constituency regardless of how the PPP acted. However, for some reason the PNC felt their hands were tied and they became a deadbeat opposition.
The people are the ones who suffered in the end with the loss of their voice in government and they were none too happy about it, which was obvious from the recent elections where the PNC lost much ground to a new credible opposition group, the AFC.
Normally, I am an advocate of cooperative politics. When various political entities work together toward one goal, it is simply amazing to see what can be accomplished for the nation. This is what makes President Jagdeo's new desire to play nice with others a very interesting turnaround.
However, I could not help but notice that the AFC has said it will not be joining any informal coalition arrangements in Parliament. At face value, this statement may seem pretentious and uncooperative. However, given the fact that the nation's long-time leaders have done so very little to bring progress to the nation, maybe it is better that the AFC isolates itself from these slackers and raises a new standard of governing in Guyana.
It seems that if the AFC can be a bit more creative than the PNC has been in the past as an opposition party, then perhaps it can find ways to effectively represent its constituency without any money or support from the ruling party.
Another aspect to consider with the introduction of this new opposition group is that the PNC must now step up their game for this next term if they plan to stay alive past the next five years. If they continue to spend their entire time yelling foul again and accomplish nothing for their voters, those votes will be gone in 2011 as well.
Taking this to another level, the PPP knows full well that their days are numbered too if they perform as badly in the next five years as they have in the past. The introduction of a new opposition has changed the entire political landscape in just a few short months.
However, I cannot stress how vital it is that the AFC perform well in the next five years. They have to stay above reproach on issues of accountability, find ways to help Guyana progress (with or without the support of the PPP), reject all forms of corruption and be quick to deal with those in the party who succumb to bribes and corrupt practices and they must address the national issues that impact the people the most.
These are all points on which both the PPP and the PNC have fallen short and on which the AFC can solidify their presence in Guyana's government. On the contrary, if they end up just like the other two parties, then they can be tossed with the rest of the deadbeat politicians in 2011.
Ever the optimist, I want to believe the introduction of this new opposition party will bring the change Guyana so desperately needs. Then again, I was naïve enough to believe the nation was ready to shed its racial voting pattern too.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 5 September 2006)
There is a phrase used when people talk about a father who neglects his responsibilities as a parent. We call that person a deadbeat dad. However, it often seems as if Guyana has had the same type of problem when it comes to their representation from opposition parties.
There were so many times in the last year that I wondered time and again about the very existence of Guyana's primary opposition party, a group that represented almost half of the nation's population last term. This is most bothersome since it negates the accountability factor that is vital in any healthy democracy.
I know all of the excuses for this apparent apathy from the PNC last term. I have heard them all. The PPP will not let them do anything to upstage the sitting government. The PPP will not give them money. The PPP is mean and bad and plays ugly.
While all of this might very well be true, there is still absolutely no reason for the PNC to leave its constituency out in the cold simply because the PPP has been incapable or unwilling to conform to its role as a democratic government.
I can think of so many ways the PNC could have been true to its constituency regardless of how the PPP acted. However, for some reason the PNC felt their hands were tied and they became a deadbeat opposition.
The people are the ones who suffered in the end with the loss of their voice in government and they were none too happy about it, which was obvious from the recent elections where the PNC lost much ground to a new credible opposition group, the AFC.
Normally, I am an advocate of cooperative politics. When various political entities work together toward one goal, it is simply amazing to see what can be accomplished for the nation. This is what makes President Jagdeo's new desire to play nice with others a very interesting turnaround.
However, I could not help but notice that the AFC has said it will not be joining any informal coalition arrangements in Parliament. At face value, this statement may seem pretentious and uncooperative. However, given the fact that the nation's long-time leaders have done so very little to bring progress to the nation, maybe it is better that the AFC isolates itself from these slackers and raises a new standard of governing in Guyana.
It seems that if the AFC can be a bit more creative than the PNC has been in the past as an opposition party, then perhaps it can find ways to effectively represent its constituency without any money or support from the ruling party.
Another aspect to consider with the introduction of this new opposition group is that the PNC must now step up their game for this next term if they plan to stay alive past the next five years. If they continue to spend their entire time yelling foul again and accomplish nothing for their voters, those votes will be gone in 2011 as well.
Taking this to another level, the PPP knows full well that their days are numbered too if they perform as badly in the next five years as they have in the past. The introduction of a new opposition has changed the entire political landscape in just a few short months.
However, I cannot stress how vital it is that the AFC perform well in the next five years. They have to stay above reproach on issues of accountability, find ways to help Guyana progress (with or without the support of the PPP), reject all forms of corruption and be quick to deal with those in the party who succumb to bribes and corrupt practices and they must address the national issues that impact the people the most.
These are all points on which both the PPP and the PNC have fallen short and on which the AFC can solidify their presence in Guyana's government. On the contrary, if they end up just like the other two parties, then they can be tossed with the rest of the deadbeat politicians in 2011.
Ever the optimist, I want to believe the introduction of this new opposition party will bring the change Guyana so desperately needs. Then again, I was naïve enough to believe the nation was ready to shed its racial voting pattern too.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
Monday, September 04, 2006
Stella Says…I want to be the next Information Liaison to the President
by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 3 September 2006)
Since it seems likely that the current Information Liaison to the President, Robert Persaud, MBA, will be moving on to bigger and better things like a ministerial position or something of that lofty nature, I have decided that I think I could do a bang up job in his soon to be vacated position.
Let's try out the title first to make sure it works - Information Liaison to the President, Stella Ramsaroop. Hmmm. It seems like something is missing. Oh, I know. I need a cutesy little accreditation thingy at the end of my name. How about DSP, Doctor of Spin and Propaganda? Nah, the acronym sound too much like an STD. Let's try MGG, Master of Getting a Groove. Oh yeah, that works baby!
Let's try it out for a test run - Information Liaison to the President, Stella Ramsaroop, MGG. Beautiful! Just beautiful. I bet Mr. MBA is going to be so jealous of my adorable new designation. Now that I have decided on my groovy title to be used as next potential Information Liaison to the President, I should probably let the President know that I can do this job.
I know that I have very big shoes to fill since Robert Persaud, MBA has been the all time king of spin (or a close second to his guru, Baghdad Bob). Therefore, to be worthy of wearing that weighty crown, I had better be at the top of my game for this informal audition to showcase my talents for the President.
Let's start with this past week, which was full of issues that would need the attention of an Information Liaison. For example, Mr. MBA was asked about why he thought there was such a low voter turnout for the general elections. He just gave a dismissing response that showed he was not prepared to answer that very important question.
As Information Liaison to the President, I would have let the media know before they even asked the question that the primary reason that so many Guyanese chose to not cast their vote in this election, which is a distinct shift in the way the people of this nation practice politics, is simply because they were just too tired from all of those fun parties we threw the weekend before elections.
Since the blasted media has already shared the information with the world, we acknowledge that voter turnout was down by about 20 percent from the last election and the streets of the country looked like a ghost town during a national election day.
We also acknowledge that because of this lack of voter turnout, we acquired more seats in Parliament than we had last term even though we received over 25,000 fewer votes this election than in 2001. However, we sure did have fun at those rallies.
Oh boy, did we have fun! There was live music pulsing through the crowd that numbered somewhere close to 850,000 people at each rally (I know that number is more than the country's population, but such information is not common knowledge so why not throw it out there and see what happens? Mr. MBA would be so proud of me right now.).
Anyhow, as I was saying, we partied all weekend, so on Monday when the people needed to vote, they were simply too exhausted from the weekend. It's a good thing the President gave them a national holiday so they could rest up, but for next election we need to remember that our rallies should be tamed down a bit so the people can have the strength to vote the next day.
Therefore, the explanation for the low voter turnout was that we partied too much the weekend before. This nonsense being tossed about by the sore loser politicians and various commentators claiming the people are just tired of the nation's political practices is simply a way for them to steal our shine since we won and they didn't.
The electorate was just tired from partying, not tired of us. They love us. Why else would they elect us for yet another consecutive term?
There is another issue from this past week that should be addressed by an Information Liaison and since I think I'd make a great one, I will tackle this matter as well. It seems after adamantly proclaiming that there would be no power sharing to squeeze every vote out of a politically gun-shy electorate, the President is now telling the opposition parties that he wants to play nice with them.
Now I know this may seem like a scheme to impress the Organisation of American States (OAS) and The Carter Foundation, both of which encouraged Guyana's leaders to find ways to work together this week. However, the President is very sincere in his sentiments of cooperation.
He was just playing around last term when his administration refused to cooperate with anyone else. This term he plans to work with anyone who is willing to roll up his/her sleeves and labour hard to promote the PPP's agenda for progress in Guyana. (Now that is great spin. Read it and weep, Mr. MBA.)
I sure hope the President considers me to fill this position if it is vacated by Smart and Sharp Robert Persaud. It might be a bit difficult for me to adjust my thinking to reflect the ideology that a government can do as it pleases and then make up all kinds of stories to cover its tracks and ease the conscience of the electorate, but I think I can do it.
After all, we cannot have an electorate with a guilty conscience now, can we?
Additional references for the position of Information Liaison to the President are available upon request.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 3 September 2006)
Since it seems likely that the current Information Liaison to the President, Robert Persaud, MBA, will be moving on to bigger and better things like a ministerial position or something of that lofty nature, I have decided that I think I could do a bang up job in his soon to be vacated position.
Let's try out the title first to make sure it works - Information Liaison to the President, Stella Ramsaroop. Hmmm. It seems like something is missing. Oh, I know. I need a cutesy little accreditation thingy at the end of my name. How about DSP, Doctor of Spin and Propaganda? Nah, the acronym sound too much like an STD. Let's try MGG, Master of Getting a Groove. Oh yeah, that works baby!
Let's try it out for a test run - Information Liaison to the President, Stella Ramsaroop, MGG. Beautiful! Just beautiful. I bet Mr. MBA is going to be so jealous of my adorable new designation. Now that I have decided on my groovy title to be used as next potential Information Liaison to the President, I should probably let the President know that I can do this job.
I know that I have very big shoes to fill since Robert Persaud, MBA has been the all time king of spin (or a close second to his guru, Baghdad Bob). Therefore, to be worthy of wearing that weighty crown, I had better be at the top of my game for this informal audition to showcase my talents for the President.
Let's start with this past week, which was full of issues that would need the attention of an Information Liaison. For example, Mr. MBA was asked about why he thought there was such a low voter turnout for the general elections. He just gave a dismissing response that showed he was not prepared to answer that very important question.
As Information Liaison to the President, I would have let the media know before they even asked the question that the primary reason that so many Guyanese chose to not cast their vote in this election, which is a distinct shift in the way the people of this nation practice politics, is simply because they were just too tired from all of those fun parties we threw the weekend before elections.
Since the blasted media has already shared the information with the world, we acknowledge that voter turnout was down by about 20 percent from the last election and the streets of the country looked like a ghost town during a national election day.
We also acknowledge that because of this lack of voter turnout, we acquired more seats in Parliament than we had last term even though we received over 25,000 fewer votes this election than in 2001. However, we sure did have fun at those rallies.
Oh boy, did we have fun! There was live music pulsing through the crowd that numbered somewhere close to 850,000 people at each rally (I know that number is more than the country's population, but such information is not common knowledge so why not throw it out there and see what happens? Mr. MBA would be so proud of me right now.).
Anyhow, as I was saying, we partied all weekend, so on Monday when the people needed to vote, they were simply too exhausted from the weekend. It's a good thing the President gave them a national holiday so they could rest up, but for next election we need to remember that our rallies should be tamed down a bit so the people can have the strength to vote the next day.
Therefore, the explanation for the low voter turnout was that we partied too much the weekend before. This nonsense being tossed about by the sore loser politicians and various commentators claiming the people are just tired of the nation's political practices is simply a way for them to steal our shine since we won and they didn't.
The electorate was just tired from partying, not tired of us. They love us. Why else would they elect us for yet another consecutive term?
There is another issue from this past week that should be addressed by an Information Liaison and since I think I'd make a great one, I will tackle this matter as well. It seems after adamantly proclaiming that there would be no power sharing to squeeze every vote out of a politically gun-shy electorate, the President is now telling the opposition parties that he wants to play nice with them.
Now I know this may seem like a scheme to impress the Organisation of American States (OAS) and The Carter Foundation, both of which encouraged Guyana's leaders to find ways to work together this week. However, the President is very sincere in his sentiments of cooperation.
He was just playing around last term when his administration refused to cooperate with anyone else. This term he plans to work with anyone who is willing to roll up his/her sleeves and labour hard to promote the PPP's agenda for progress in Guyana. (Now that is great spin. Read it and weep, Mr. MBA.)
I sure hope the President considers me to fill this position if it is vacated by Smart and Sharp Robert Persaud. It might be a bit difficult for me to adjust my thinking to reflect the ideology that a government can do as it pleases and then make up all kinds of stories to cover its tracks and ease the conscience of the electorate, but I think I can do it.
After all, we cannot have an electorate with a guilty conscience now, can we?
Additional references for the position of Information Liaison to the President are available upon request.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
Friday, September 01, 2006
Stella Says…The people have done their part, but will Jagdeo do his?
by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 31 August 2006)
Now that it seems the people have expressed a vote of confidence in Jagdeo's ability to govern and turn Guyana around, the question now turns to what the President will do with this opportunity. Will he finally step out from the shadows of Freedom House and Janet Jagan and make decisions that are clearly beneficial for Guyana?
For example, although the people of Guyana have spoken and given Jagdeo another chance at governing their nation, just as they said they would according to a recent poll by NACTA, the people also said in that poll that they would like for the President to fire his cabinet. Will Jagdeo do right by the people who elected him and cater to what they want and need?
In the past, party faithful were appointed to ministerial positions regardless of whether they had the qualifications for that position. Many of these individuals have gone from rags to riches during their short term in office while the country at large continues to wallow in abject poverty. However, if the President cleans up his cabinet, this would go a long way in helping the people to begin to trust their leaders.
Does the President even care if the people trust their leaders? Will he look across the span of the country and find the most qualified individuals to be his partners in leading Guyana to prosperity? Will he demand that the ministers of his cabinet be above reproach and insist they declare their net worth to the people of Guyana prior to taking office so there can be finally be accountability in Guyana's government?
Will he immediately and without delay, pull the PPP out of hypocrisy and privatise the Chronicle, as well as the television and radio stations owned and controlled by the State? (The very practice the PPP fought against while the PNC was in power)
Will the President create a Ministry of Spin and Propaganda and appoint Robert Persaud, MBA to head the ministry so he can be groomed to be Mrs. Jagan's next presidential candidate of choice? Or will Jagdeo see the wisdom of appointing Moses Nagamootoo to a prime position to help steer the party for the next five years?
Mrs. Jagan's communism has proven to be a very bad deal for Guyana and it is time someone stepped up and made that declaration. In a gist, I just want to know if the President will finally have the guts to cut the apron strings and be the strong and just leader that Guyana so desperately needs right now.
Will he put issues that matter at the forefront of his agenda, such as building a strong economy, containing the crime situation, bolstering the nation's infrastructure, revamping the educational system and addressing the many women's issues that still permeate the social framework of the national culture?
Will his next administration give Guyana more than a bag full of hot air on these important topics? In real life, spin and propaganda are nothing more than empty words to a single mother who is trying to find food for her children or a family that has just been beaten and robbed by vile thieves.
Mr. President, the people - not Freedom House or Janet Jagan - elected you. Therefore, your loyalty should be to the people and no one else. Some in Freedom House might say they helped you get elected again, but you were the only thing the PPP had going for them this election term. You helped the PPP get re-elected – not the other way around.
Even though you have not done right by the people in the past (in so many ways), they still trust you enough to place their country under your leadership for one more term. What would it hurt for you to find out what the people want from you and act accordingly?
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 31 August 2006)
Now that it seems the people have expressed a vote of confidence in Jagdeo's ability to govern and turn Guyana around, the question now turns to what the President will do with this opportunity. Will he finally step out from the shadows of Freedom House and Janet Jagan and make decisions that are clearly beneficial for Guyana?
For example, although the people of Guyana have spoken and given Jagdeo another chance at governing their nation, just as they said they would according to a recent poll by NACTA, the people also said in that poll that they would like for the President to fire his cabinet. Will Jagdeo do right by the people who elected him and cater to what they want and need?
In the past, party faithful were appointed to ministerial positions regardless of whether they had the qualifications for that position. Many of these individuals have gone from rags to riches during their short term in office while the country at large continues to wallow in abject poverty. However, if the President cleans up his cabinet, this would go a long way in helping the people to begin to trust their leaders.
Does the President even care if the people trust their leaders? Will he look across the span of the country and find the most qualified individuals to be his partners in leading Guyana to prosperity? Will he demand that the ministers of his cabinet be above reproach and insist they declare their net worth to the people of Guyana prior to taking office so there can be finally be accountability in Guyana's government?
Will he immediately and without delay, pull the PPP out of hypocrisy and privatise the Chronicle, as well as the television and radio stations owned and controlled by the State? (The very practice the PPP fought against while the PNC was in power)
Will the President create a Ministry of Spin and Propaganda and appoint Robert Persaud, MBA to head the ministry so he can be groomed to be Mrs. Jagan's next presidential candidate of choice? Or will Jagdeo see the wisdom of appointing Moses Nagamootoo to a prime position to help steer the party for the next five years?
Mrs. Jagan's communism has proven to be a very bad deal for Guyana and it is time someone stepped up and made that declaration. In a gist, I just want to know if the President will finally have the guts to cut the apron strings and be the strong and just leader that Guyana so desperately needs right now.
Will he put issues that matter at the forefront of his agenda, such as building a strong economy, containing the crime situation, bolstering the nation's infrastructure, revamping the educational system and addressing the many women's issues that still permeate the social framework of the national culture?
Will his next administration give Guyana more than a bag full of hot air on these important topics? In real life, spin and propaganda are nothing more than empty words to a single mother who is trying to find food for her children or a family that has just been beaten and robbed by vile thieves.
Mr. President, the people - not Freedom House or Janet Jagan - elected you. Therefore, your loyalty should be to the people and no one else. Some in Freedom House might say they helped you get elected again, but you were the only thing the PPP had going for them this election term. You helped the PPP get re-elected – not the other way around.
Even though you have not done right by the people in the past (in so many ways), they still trust you enough to place their country under your leadership for one more term. What would it hurt for you to find out what the people want from you and act accordingly?
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
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