by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 26 September 2006)
The PNCR-1G just cannot seem to hold on to people lately. First, almost all of the smaller organisations that formed a coalition with them earlier this year backed out before the elections even took place.
Then Stanley Ming made a run for it too. Ming was a core PNC executive member whose “Reform” aspect of the PNC-R got swallowed up soon after the last elections. His departure was a huge loss for the already floundering party because Ming brought with him a level of respect the party cannot seem to maintain on its own.
Now it is Sherwood Lowe, a lecturer at the University of Guyana and another executive member for the PNC – well, at least he was until September 15 when he tendered his resignation to the longstanding opposition party because they still cannot seem to implement a power-sharing stratagem.
If this trend continues, there will be no one left in the PNC except Corbin, which is typical for those who do not like to play nicely with others. At this rate, the PNC will soon dispense with all of its visionaries and have nothing left but the party faithful. In short, this party will be just like the PPP – all yes men and no vision.
According to a Kaieteur News article from this past Sunday, Lowe said, “I feel that the party has to push the shared governance issue more, which was not being done; and I feel that I could make a greater impact outside the executive because this issue cannot wait until 2011. It has to be done now.”
If we examine this party’s name alone, the PNCR-1G, we will uncover the depth to which Lowe’s words ring true. The “R” (Reform) of the PNCR was all but lost with Ming’s resignation. The “1G” (One Guyana) aspect was also lost when the ties it formed with those smaller organisations was severed before the elections.
In short, because the PNCR-1G cannot play nice with others, it has effectively become the PNC again – and who wants to see that? Most individuals outside of Congress Place believe that, in order to survive, the PNC must go through a transformation beyond adding letters and numbers to its name.
It is now becoming apparent that there must be individuals within the PNCR-1G who do not believe that this transformation is necessary. This is a foolish notion. The egos of Guyana’s politicians are sometimes bigger than the country itself.
It seems as if those who carried the internal struggle for change within the PNC have eventually left in frustration. The long list of discarded visionaries includes Raphael Trotman, Eric Phillips, Peter Ramsaroop, Stanley Ming and now Sherwood Lowe (just to name a few).
While I have to admit the PNCR-1G performed better in this past election than I thought it would, they also lost a considerable amount of their core supporter to the "change" being preached by the AFC. Change is not something the PNC or the PPP have ever done well.
Why fight change? Why fight progress? Why is the core leadership of the PNC clinging to the past and to archaic principles that only hold the party back?
I recently wrote an article on the symbiotic relationship between the PPP and the PNC. It seems as if both of these parties are resistant to any internal change and constantly shed their change agents.
Whether it is the PPP refusing to shed it's Marxist mantra or the PNC refusing to fully embrace progress, both parties have made consistent decisions to resist change whenever it is confronted with the option. Simply put, both parties know they cannot move into the 21st century and still hold on to old school politics tactics that have kept them in power.
I truly believe we will not see real change in Guyana until there is a break in the unhealthy racial voting patterns that chain the country to its past. However, the leaders of the nation propagate this tendency and they have no intention of changing this anytime soon since it would mean the end of their reign.
These parties believe that they can maintain their brand of antiquated politics and their electorate will vote for them anyway. The PPP proved this belief in the recent elections. However, a significant percentage of the PNCR-1G's electorate did migrate to other parties and it is only a matter of time before the PPP’s supporters do the same.
Guyana needs fresh ideas and unsullied leaders, but the nation’s visionaries end up frustrated and leave - and the only ones left are those who needed to step aside a long time ago to allow the party to grow into an 21st century organisation. Of those who do stick around, they vie for power like dogs fight for territory.
It is despicable behaviour for those who would call themselves leaders and absolutely sickening for the rest of us to have to watch. For the PNC, it is sad to watch those who brought the best aspects of the party drop off one by one. Yet another one bites the dust at Congress Place this week and we can only speculate who will be next.
It means there is a disturbance inside the PNC Headquarters so disconcerting that a rift has been created in the upper echelons, but the sad reality is that the wrong people are leaving.
Isn’t that how it always goes? Those with enough dignity to bow out gracefully rather than be willing participants of a sullied system are the very ones we need to stay and fight for a better way.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
Sunday, September 24, 2006
Stella Says…It's about time someone helped the children
by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 24 September 2006)
I like the new Minister of Human Services and Social Security already. Priya Manickchand seems like a no-nonsense type of woman who does not have time to waste on incompetence. I can relate with the Minister since I am very much that way as well.
Of course, I liked Bibi Shadick too, until she let her true colours show by treating a very sensitive issue involving some young women with disregard and disrespect. I know it may be naïve of me to trust another Minister of Human Services again so soon, but that is exactly what I intend to do.
As long as Minister Manickchand is working hard for the women and children of Guyana, she will have my full support. Understand that this support does not mean that I will not be the first to point out the shortcomings of this vital ministry, it just means that as long as the new Minister is working hard (as opposed to hardly working) to make life better for women and children, then she will find that I am actually a very nice person.
I know Minister Robert Montgomery Persaud, MBA might say otherwise, but I really am a very pleasant person. I smile a lot and I love to laugh. Sure there are times when I get very upset at the way our leaders misuse their power and I have been known to yell at the television when I have heard enough of their lies and propaganda.
However, I am quick to highlight the good stuff that our leaders pull out of their hats every once in a while too. For example, Minister Manickchand has announced that she is in the early phases of starting a child protection agency. This news made my day. The sun shone brighter and the flowers smelt sweeter.
Although the first thought to cross my mind was about how I could not believe there was no such entity already in existence in Guyana given the high number of crimes against children. I let this thought flutter by my brain and tried to focus on the fact that although the ruling government may not have thought it was important to protect the nation’s children in one of its previous terms, at least now it has seen the light.
I certainly hope this new child protection agency does more to protect children than the government’s agencies that were designed to protect women. It does seem as though the new Minister has an eye for detail since she has already outlined a fairly well developed plan for this new agency.
Only time will tell whether we can expect more from this Minister than to be patronised with promises and propaganda that yield little or no fruit – like some other Ministers who shall remain nameless (for this column anyhow). I just want our new Minister of Human Services and Social Security to know how much of an interest I take in this particular aspect of society.
As such, it is very important to me to know there is someone in this position who truly cares about the people (all of the people) on a personal level. I want to know this person has the capacity to understand the plight of the average Guyanese and intends to work day and night to make life better them. I want to know that when the pressure is on, this Minister will not undermine the progress made by her ministry to stay good with family friends.
Most of all though, I want to know what this new Minister thinks about the women’s issues in Guyana and whether she sees a safer and more prosperous life for them in the next five years. I think this new Minister and I will become best of friends very quickly, although no one could ever take Smart and Sharp Robert’s place.
But first, we need to find a way to shorten Minister Manickchand’s name (Sheesh, I thought Ramsaroop was long!). My hands are tired just from typing her name so much in this column. How about Mighty Mani? Nah, it sounds like a cartoon and she doesn’t look like the cartoon type of person.
We need a name that fits the persona she seems to portray to the public with her collared blouses and dark suit jackets. Oh, I know! How about Poised and Proper Priya. That is perfect for a no-nonsense woman like the new Minister.
We are sure to have tons of fun in this new term, Poised and Proper Priya, and I am on pins and needles waiting for your strategy to address the nation’s women’s issues. I do hope it is coming very soon. If you need any ideas when formulating your approach to this matter, feel free to give me a ring. After all, that’s what friends are for.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 24 September 2006)
I like the new Minister of Human Services and Social Security already. Priya Manickchand seems like a no-nonsense type of woman who does not have time to waste on incompetence. I can relate with the Minister since I am very much that way as well.
Of course, I liked Bibi Shadick too, until she let her true colours show by treating a very sensitive issue involving some young women with disregard and disrespect. I know it may be naïve of me to trust another Minister of Human Services again so soon, but that is exactly what I intend to do.
As long as Minister Manickchand is working hard for the women and children of Guyana, she will have my full support. Understand that this support does not mean that I will not be the first to point out the shortcomings of this vital ministry, it just means that as long as the new Minister is working hard (as opposed to hardly working) to make life better for women and children, then she will find that I am actually a very nice person.
I know Minister Robert Montgomery Persaud, MBA might say otherwise, but I really am a very pleasant person. I smile a lot and I love to laugh. Sure there are times when I get very upset at the way our leaders misuse their power and I have been known to yell at the television when I have heard enough of their lies and propaganda.
However, I am quick to highlight the good stuff that our leaders pull out of their hats every once in a while too. For example, Minister Manickchand has announced that she is in the early phases of starting a child protection agency. This news made my day. The sun shone brighter and the flowers smelt sweeter.
Although the first thought to cross my mind was about how I could not believe there was no such entity already in existence in Guyana given the high number of crimes against children. I let this thought flutter by my brain and tried to focus on the fact that although the ruling government may not have thought it was important to protect the nation’s children in one of its previous terms, at least now it has seen the light.
I certainly hope this new child protection agency does more to protect children than the government’s agencies that were designed to protect women. It does seem as though the new Minister has an eye for detail since she has already outlined a fairly well developed plan for this new agency.
Only time will tell whether we can expect more from this Minister than to be patronised with promises and propaganda that yield little or no fruit – like some other Ministers who shall remain nameless (for this column anyhow). I just want our new Minister of Human Services and Social Security to know how much of an interest I take in this particular aspect of society.
As such, it is very important to me to know there is someone in this position who truly cares about the people (all of the people) on a personal level. I want to know this person has the capacity to understand the plight of the average Guyanese and intends to work day and night to make life better them. I want to know that when the pressure is on, this Minister will not undermine the progress made by her ministry to stay good with family friends.
Most of all though, I want to know what this new Minister thinks about the women’s issues in Guyana and whether she sees a safer and more prosperous life for them in the next five years. I think this new Minister and I will become best of friends very quickly, although no one could ever take Smart and Sharp Robert’s place.
But first, we need to find a way to shorten Minister Manickchand’s name (Sheesh, I thought Ramsaroop was long!). My hands are tired just from typing her name so much in this column. How about Mighty Mani? Nah, it sounds like a cartoon and she doesn’t look like the cartoon type of person.
We need a name that fits the persona she seems to portray to the public with her collared blouses and dark suit jackets. Oh, I know! How about Poised and Proper Priya. That is perfect for a no-nonsense woman like the new Minister.
We are sure to have tons of fun in this new term, Poised and Proper Priya, and I am on pins and needles waiting for your strategy to address the nation’s women’s issues. I do hope it is coming very soon. If you need any ideas when formulating your approach to this matter, feel free to give me a ring. After all, that’s what friends are for.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Stella Says…Here is a woman’s view of what the Pope said about Muslims
by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 21 September 2006)
There has been so much commentary and discussion on what Pope Benedict XVI said last week that my initial thought was to simply let this issue slip away without addressing it in my column.
However, very few of the remarks regarding the Pope’s speech were from women. It always strikes me as odd that half of the world’s population (the female half) often chooses not to weigh in on important matters such as these.
In his speech at the University of Regensburg, Benedict criticised Islam and the Prophet Mohammad by quoting the 14th century Byzantine Emperor, Manuel II Palaeologus, who wrote that everything Mohammad brought was evil and inhuman, "such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."
Although I am no longer a practicing Christian, I was raised in a Christian home and even I am offended at the Pope’s statement. Such a statement coming from any world leader would be considered careless, insensitive and imprudent. Coming from the Pope, this statement is deadly.
The response by some Muslims is ironic to say the least as well. To counter the Pope’s injudicious statement of Muslim violence with violence is just as imprudent as the statement itself. The reality is that intolerance for other religions is foundational in most predominant world religions.
Whether it is Muslims calling Jews infidels or Evangelicals telling Jehovah Witnesses they are going to hell, there is usually very little charity for any religion outside of the one a person chooses to practice, which is also ironic since most religions preach charity as one of the cornerstones of their faith.
Guyana is unique in that, for the most part, people practice their faith without the radical condemnation that is typically taught in regards to other religions. Kaieteur News printed an article last Sunday entitled, “U.S. report finds religious freedom abounds in Guyana,” that spoke on this very subject.
The article said, “Although significant problems existed between the country's two main ethnic groups, tensions were generally racially, not religiously, based. According to the IRF [International Religious Freedom] report, religious leaders frequently have worked together to attempt to bridge these differences.”
While Guyana’s religious leaders work to bring peace to the country, the Pope is thousands of miles away, on a whole other continent, making statements that could nullify all of their efforts. One very human man should never have so much influence over so many minds.
I am not going to say that the world would be better off without religion. Faith in a deity has different meanings to different people. For my mother, her religion is what gave her the strength to live her life. For me, religion sucked every bit of life out of me and I never felt like I could be myself until I rejected the same religion my mother embraced with such fervour.
There are some who say God helped them become a better person and for these people I am happy. Even I will admit there are times when I want to believe there is something or someone out there bigger and wiser than us mere humans – like when murderers invade your workplace and execute your co-workers.
Still, even within the context of how good religion can be for certain people, it should not escape our attention that the escalation of religious tension in the world is very close to that of The Crusades – thanks in large part to extremists from both Christianity and Islam.
What the Pope said would have been a tragedy of intelligence at any point in history. However, in the current setting, with Muslims feeling victimised by the Christian West and when even something so slight as a cartoon can cause conflict and incite a passionate reaction, why on earth would anyone of a sound mind make such a careless statement?
This is the discussion we should be having. By all accounts, the Pope is a highly intelligent man. So why would he pull a statement out of history and insert it into today’s already precarious atmosphere?
When we can answer that question and stop making excuses for the stupidity of our world leaders - that is when we will find peace, with or without religion.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 21 September 2006)
There has been so much commentary and discussion on what Pope Benedict XVI said last week that my initial thought was to simply let this issue slip away without addressing it in my column.
However, very few of the remarks regarding the Pope’s speech were from women. It always strikes me as odd that half of the world’s population (the female half) often chooses not to weigh in on important matters such as these.
In his speech at the University of Regensburg, Benedict criticised Islam and the Prophet Mohammad by quoting the 14th century Byzantine Emperor, Manuel II Palaeologus, who wrote that everything Mohammad brought was evil and inhuman, "such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached."
Although I am no longer a practicing Christian, I was raised in a Christian home and even I am offended at the Pope’s statement. Such a statement coming from any world leader would be considered careless, insensitive and imprudent. Coming from the Pope, this statement is deadly.
The response by some Muslims is ironic to say the least as well. To counter the Pope’s injudicious statement of Muslim violence with violence is just as imprudent as the statement itself. The reality is that intolerance for other religions is foundational in most predominant world religions.
Whether it is Muslims calling Jews infidels or Evangelicals telling Jehovah Witnesses they are going to hell, there is usually very little charity for any religion outside of the one a person chooses to practice, which is also ironic since most religions preach charity as one of the cornerstones of their faith.
Guyana is unique in that, for the most part, people practice their faith without the radical condemnation that is typically taught in regards to other religions. Kaieteur News printed an article last Sunday entitled, “U.S. report finds religious freedom abounds in Guyana,” that spoke on this very subject.
The article said, “Although significant problems existed between the country's two main ethnic groups, tensions were generally racially, not religiously, based. According to the IRF [International Religious Freedom] report, religious leaders frequently have worked together to attempt to bridge these differences.”
While Guyana’s religious leaders work to bring peace to the country, the Pope is thousands of miles away, on a whole other continent, making statements that could nullify all of their efforts. One very human man should never have so much influence over so many minds.
I am not going to say that the world would be better off without religion. Faith in a deity has different meanings to different people. For my mother, her religion is what gave her the strength to live her life. For me, religion sucked every bit of life out of me and I never felt like I could be myself until I rejected the same religion my mother embraced with such fervour.
There are some who say God helped them become a better person and for these people I am happy. Even I will admit there are times when I want to believe there is something or someone out there bigger and wiser than us mere humans – like when murderers invade your workplace and execute your co-workers.
Still, even within the context of how good religion can be for certain people, it should not escape our attention that the escalation of religious tension in the world is very close to that of The Crusades – thanks in large part to extremists from both Christianity and Islam.
What the Pope said would have been a tragedy of intelligence at any point in history. However, in the current setting, with Muslims feeling victimised by the Christian West and when even something so slight as a cartoon can cause conflict and incite a passionate reaction, why on earth would anyone of a sound mind make such a careless statement?
This is the discussion we should be having. By all accounts, the Pope is a highly intelligent man. So why would he pull a statement out of history and insert it into today’s already precarious atmosphere?
When we can answer that question and stop making excuses for the stupidity of our world leaders - that is when we will find peace, with or without religion.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
Stella Says…Will this year’s GUYEXPO bring economic change?
by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 19 September 2006)
It is official folks; GUYEXPO 2006 is going to be held after all. Bravo! The new Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manniram Prashad, has let the world know that despite rumours to the contrary, the trade fair known for showcasing Guyana’s businesses will be held October 26-31.
I know many people are expecting my sarcastic wit to prevail over any well-deserved praise in regards to the PPP’s many failed attempts to “boost” the nation’s economy. However, since I believe it is important to give credit where credit is due, it would certainly be ignoble of me to ignore the fact that the governing party is on the ball enough to pull off a GUYEXPO so soon after an election.
The GUYEXPO is a great way for businesses around the nation to let the world know they are ready to do business. Of course, if the Jagdeo administration was a bit friendlier with foreign investors and more capable of promoting local businesses to overseas interests, perhaps the GUYEXPO could serve as more than just a big party with the neighbours next door.
Oops, I guess a bit of that sarcastic wit did sneak in after all. I really do think the GUYEXPO is a great idea. However, we must ask what types of financial successes have been birthed from past expositions and what businesses should expect from their participation in this year’s expo?
We know the government will make money since they charge an entrance fee for anyone who wants to attend, yet no one knows what becomes of that revenue when the EXPO is done. However, beyond that, what benefits will those businesses that choose to participate in the GUYEXPO reap from their investment of time and resources?
More specifically, if getting some public exposure from the GUYEXPO in its current state, which does not really incorporate many foreign investors, bolsters a local business, how much more could that business grow if the government knew how to play nice with overseas investors?
I did not major in economics in school - like President Jagdeo – but it seems fairly simply to understand one of Guyana’s major economic issues. This is how I see the problem, if I have a thousand dollars and I have five friends who have a thousand dollars each, we can buy things from each other with our money in exchange for services or products.
If no other money is ever introduced into our little circle, then we will just be passing around that same six thousand dollars over and over again. However, if we let someone from outside our circle do business with us too, then we inject more money into the situation as well as the potential for more business opportunities.
Guyana only has a certain amount of money that passes back and forth between consumers and businesses. However, if the nation introduces more outside investors into the equation, the whole country will reap the benefits of the additional cash flow and job opportunities.
Two years ago at the GUYEXPO, Jagdeo laid out his “economic vision” for the country with “three over-arching principles of my Government’s economic strategy – prudent management of the economy, sustained investment in public services, and support for a modern and vigorous private sector.” Even I know this equation alone does not add up to economic growth.
At last year’s GUYEXPO the President said his “principal strategic economic objective is to generate economic growth and enhanced national competitiveness.” I see two problems in this statement right from the start. Firstly, most businesses in Guyana can only be competitive if they are on the right “team.”
Secondly, economic growth for Guyana is not going to come from national competitiveness. Growth will come from international competitiveness, and this is something from which the Jagdeo administration shies away.
This timidity is understandable to a certain degree since Guyana’s potential for being competitive is weak because of the lack of training in so many vital areas of today’s world economy such as technology.
Which is exactly why the government should focus its first moves toward tangible economic recovery on education and solidifying relationships with outside investors who would gladly train Guyanese workers themselves.
Therefore, while I applaud the new Minister’s haste in being able to host a GUYEXPO during this election year, I think there are far more important issues to which he should be channelling his efforts in these early days of his new post. Or at the very least, I hope he plans to introduce a lot more outside cash into the EXPO this year.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 19 September 2006)
It is official folks; GUYEXPO 2006 is going to be held after all. Bravo! The new Minister of Tourism, Industry and Commerce, Manniram Prashad, has let the world know that despite rumours to the contrary, the trade fair known for showcasing Guyana’s businesses will be held October 26-31.
I know many people are expecting my sarcastic wit to prevail over any well-deserved praise in regards to the PPP’s many failed attempts to “boost” the nation’s economy. However, since I believe it is important to give credit where credit is due, it would certainly be ignoble of me to ignore the fact that the governing party is on the ball enough to pull off a GUYEXPO so soon after an election.
The GUYEXPO is a great way for businesses around the nation to let the world know they are ready to do business. Of course, if the Jagdeo administration was a bit friendlier with foreign investors and more capable of promoting local businesses to overseas interests, perhaps the GUYEXPO could serve as more than just a big party with the neighbours next door.
Oops, I guess a bit of that sarcastic wit did sneak in after all. I really do think the GUYEXPO is a great idea. However, we must ask what types of financial successes have been birthed from past expositions and what businesses should expect from their participation in this year’s expo?
We know the government will make money since they charge an entrance fee for anyone who wants to attend, yet no one knows what becomes of that revenue when the EXPO is done. However, beyond that, what benefits will those businesses that choose to participate in the GUYEXPO reap from their investment of time and resources?
More specifically, if getting some public exposure from the GUYEXPO in its current state, which does not really incorporate many foreign investors, bolsters a local business, how much more could that business grow if the government knew how to play nice with overseas investors?
I did not major in economics in school - like President Jagdeo – but it seems fairly simply to understand one of Guyana’s major economic issues. This is how I see the problem, if I have a thousand dollars and I have five friends who have a thousand dollars each, we can buy things from each other with our money in exchange for services or products.
If no other money is ever introduced into our little circle, then we will just be passing around that same six thousand dollars over and over again. However, if we let someone from outside our circle do business with us too, then we inject more money into the situation as well as the potential for more business opportunities.
Guyana only has a certain amount of money that passes back and forth between consumers and businesses. However, if the nation introduces more outside investors into the equation, the whole country will reap the benefits of the additional cash flow and job opportunities.
Two years ago at the GUYEXPO, Jagdeo laid out his “economic vision” for the country with “three over-arching principles of my Government’s economic strategy – prudent management of the economy, sustained investment in public services, and support for a modern and vigorous private sector.” Even I know this equation alone does not add up to economic growth.
At last year’s GUYEXPO the President said his “principal strategic economic objective is to generate economic growth and enhanced national competitiveness.” I see two problems in this statement right from the start. Firstly, most businesses in Guyana can only be competitive if they are on the right “team.”
Secondly, economic growth for Guyana is not going to come from national competitiveness. Growth will come from international competitiveness, and this is something from which the Jagdeo administration shies away.
This timidity is understandable to a certain degree since Guyana’s potential for being competitive is weak because of the lack of training in so many vital areas of today’s world economy such as technology.
Which is exactly why the government should focus its first moves toward tangible economic recovery on education and solidifying relationships with outside investors who would gladly train Guyanese workers themselves.
Therefore, while I applaud the new Minister’s haste in being able to host a GUYEXPO during this election year, I think there are far more important issues to which he should be channelling his efforts in these early days of his new post. Or at the very least, I hope he plans to introduce a lot more outside cash into the EXPO this year.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
Monday, September 18, 2006
Stella Says…I refuse to succumb to the fear and bitterness
by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 17 September 2006)
I received some interesting responses to my column from Thursday in which I asked who was in charge of the PPP/C and the country. It was very enlightening to find out what some of the people in general really think about the ruling government.
However, there was one email from earlier this week that stuck with me and caused me to do a re-evaluation of myself. Journalists as a whole are not to let their true feelings show when writing a news article. However, a columnist has a little more room to examine current events and political phenomenon.
As such, the reader knows the opinion section of the paper, which usually includes an editorial, some columns and letters to the Editor from the public, should be taken with a grain of salt. The reader will agree with some opinions and disagree with others.
This whole exercise of promoting free speech and volleying ideas back and forth is not only healthy, but it can be highly productive. However, this week I received an email asking me why I am so mean to the PPP. Of course, this caused me to immediately employ a self-evaluation on whether I gratuitously targeting the PPP.
I found the answer to my self-probe in the email itself, which detailed the atrocities Indo-Guyanese suffered under PNC rule and how much better life was now under the PPP (that is supposedly trying its best).
It is not that I do not know of the sufferings of the Indo-Guyanese under the PNC. I have family who lived through it and I have kind readers, like this one, who remind me of these sufferings every chance they get.
Likewise, it is not that I do not care about what happened all those decades ago or wish to forget Guyana's past with a wave of a hand. I value the lessons of history far too much to excuse such important matters that contribute to the formation of a nation and a people.
The reason I can so easily evaluate the PPP based on international standards of political, economical and democratic growth is because I choose to view the party by the condition of the nation today and not in comparison to how things were decades ago.
It is because I choose to hold the government of Guyana to the same standards that I would hold any other country in the world that my analysis of their performance is untainted by bitterness of the past or fear of the future.
In America, the citizens are too busy to remember the failures and sins of their leaders from week to week and therefore put incompetent politicians in power out of sheer laziness or ignorance. In Guyana, the citizens remember every failure and sin with bitter resentment and maintain that they would rather die before allowing such a situation to occur again.
Meanwhile the politicians play on this fear and use it to maintain their power. If I ever wondered about how far the PPP would go to stay in power, my questions were answered when I saw "The Great Pretender" commercial. Guyana's very own government used flashes of racial violence to scare their people into submission…and the people did as their were expected.
However, it is not the Afro-Guyanese as a whole who suffer under the PPP rule, it is PNC supporters who experience marginalisation. Afro-Guyanese who support the PPP reap the benefits of that support and Indo-Guyanese who do not support the PPP suffer the consequences of their choice.
Sure, things may be better today than it was during the PNC rule for a portion of the population, but there is another portion of the population for which it is worse. This ought not be. Guyana does not need leaders who value one section of the population more than another.
This is not a sin from decades ago; it is alive wreaking havoc on the nation today. Yet I have Indo-Guyanese who tearfully tell me their stories of marginalisation from the past without giving a second thought to the marginalisation their very own neighbours suffer today.
The PPP today is no better than the PNC was so long ago. In fact, the PPP is the very same in so many regards. Both parties should have been voted out in the last election, but too many people still harbour their fear and bitterness to let go of the past and embrace a better future.
However, I refuse to let the past tarnish my view of what Guyana should really be today if there were a government in power that cared about the well being of all of the people of the nation and not just half of the population.
I am not being mean when I hold Jagdeo, his administration and the PPP to basic standards of acceptable performance. I just refuse to succumb to the fear and bitterness they promote at the expense of the nation's future.
I want to see Guyana grow beyond its racial politics and realise that by holding on to its twenty-year-old wounds it does nothing but chain the entire nation, including the next generation, to the past.
There will be no growth, no prosperity, no economic reforms, no Constitutional reforms, and no social reforms until the people of Guyana can start evaluating the government based on its current political performance and not on the performance of dead men.
The PPP can expect me to continue my "meanness" if it means that they will be held to the higher standards of performance that Guyana deserves.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 17 September 2006)
I received some interesting responses to my column from Thursday in which I asked who was in charge of the PPP/C and the country. It was very enlightening to find out what some of the people in general really think about the ruling government.
However, there was one email from earlier this week that stuck with me and caused me to do a re-evaluation of myself. Journalists as a whole are not to let their true feelings show when writing a news article. However, a columnist has a little more room to examine current events and political phenomenon.
As such, the reader knows the opinion section of the paper, which usually includes an editorial, some columns and letters to the Editor from the public, should be taken with a grain of salt. The reader will agree with some opinions and disagree with others.
This whole exercise of promoting free speech and volleying ideas back and forth is not only healthy, but it can be highly productive. However, this week I received an email asking me why I am so mean to the PPP. Of course, this caused me to immediately employ a self-evaluation on whether I gratuitously targeting the PPP.
I found the answer to my self-probe in the email itself, which detailed the atrocities Indo-Guyanese suffered under PNC rule and how much better life was now under the PPP (that is supposedly trying its best).
It is not that I do not know of the sufferings of the Indo-Guyanese under the PNC. I have family who lived through it and I have kind readers, like this one, who remind me of these sufferings every chance they get.
Likewise, it is not that I do not care about what happened all those decades ago or wish to forget Guyana's past with a wave of a hand. I value the lessons of history far too much to excuse such important matters that contribute to the formation of a nation and a people.
The reason I can so easily evaluate the PPP based on international standards of political, economical and democratic growth is because I choose to view the party by the condition of the nation today and not in comparison to how things were decades ago.
It is because I choose to hold the government of Guyana to the same standards that I would hold any other country in the world that my analysis of their performance is untainted by bitterness of the past or fear of the future.
In America, the citizens are too busy to remember the failures and sins of their leaders from week to week and therefore put incompetent politicians in power out of sheer laziness or ignorance. In Guyana, the citizens remember every failure and sin with bitter resentment and maintain that they would rather die before allowing such a situation to occur again.
Meanwhile the politicians play on this fear and use it to maintain their power. If I ever wondered about how far the PPP would go to stay in power, my questions were answered when I saw "The Great Pretender" commercial. Guyana's very own government used flashes of racial violence to scare their people into submission…and the people did as their were expected.
However, it is not the Afro-Guyanese as a whole who suffer under the PPP rule, it is PNC supporters who experience marginalisation. Afro-Guyanese who support the PPP reap the benefits of that support and Indo-Guyanese who do not support the PPP suffer the consequences of their choice.
Sure, things may be better today than it was during the PNC rule for a portion of the population, but there is another portion of the population for which it is worse. This ought not be. Guyana does not need leaders who value one section of the population more than another.
This is not a sin from decades ago; it is alive wreaking havoc on the nation today. Yet I have Indo-Guyanese who tearfully tell me their stories of marginalisation from the past without giving a second thought to the marginalisation their very own neighbours suffer today.
The PPP today is no better than the PNC was so long ago. In fact, the PPP is the very same in so many regards. Both parties should have been voted out in the last election, but too many people still harbour their fear and bitterness to let go of the past and embrace a better future.
However, I refuse to let the past tarnish my view of what Guyana should really be today if there were a government in power that cared about the well being of all of the people of the nation and not just half of the population.
I am not being mean when I hold Jagdeo, his administration and the PPP to basic standards of acceptable performance. I just refuse to succumb to the fear and bitterness they promote at the expense of the nation's future.
I want to see Guyana grow beyond its racial politics and realise that by holding on to its twenty-year-old wounds it does nothing but chain the entire nation, including the next generation, to the past.
There will be no growth, no prosperity, no economic reforms, no Constitutional reforms, and no social reforms until the people of Guyana can start evaluating the government based on its current political performance and not on the performance of dead men.
The PPP can expect me to continue my "meanness" if it means that they will be held to the higher standards of performance that Guyana deserves.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
Friday, September 15, 2006
Stella Says…Who is running the PPP/C and country?
by Stella Ramsaroop
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 14 September 2006)
Some believe Janet Jagan is still in control of the governing party and therefore, in control of the country. Others, like Peeping Tom, believe President Jagdeo is the one calling the shots now. The one thing we all know for sure is that Moses Nagamootoo does not have a say at all anymore.
So who is running the country? Does Granny still pull the strings from behind the door of Freedom House? Or is Jagdeo bent on creating a legacy for himself that will surpass even that of Cheddi Jagan and is ridding himself of the old guard?
I have heard very convincing arguments from both sides of the spectrum and I cannot help but think there are others who are wondering about this as well. Those on both sides of this coin are also very adamant about their position.
This column is going to be packed full of questions. Of course, I am no more equipped to answer many of these questions than anyone else outside of Freedom House. In fact, I am not sure even those appointed to their new Cabinet positions know the real answer to these queries.
Yet still, the question of whom is controlling of the country must be asked because it is in the answer that we will find the course by which Guyana will have no other choice but to follow for the next five years.
For example, if Peeping Tom is right and Jagdeo is truly in charge now, it would mean the President is the one who gave Nagamootoo a cold shoulder. If this were the case, the next obvious question would be why? Why not keep Moses around since the people love him so much? Or maybe the answer to the last question is in the question itself.
I suppose another very important question is that if Jagdeo really is in charge now, why do people still want to believe that it is Granny who still controls the PPP? Perhaps the reason for this immovable stance is nostalgic or maybe it is fear of change.
Or perhaps people in general are afraid to think of what will become of Guyana if one man really does have too much power again and would rather believe there is an old lady with a familiar face watching over them somewhere.
If this is really the case and Granny is still in charge, does this mean she is the one grooming our Smart and Sharp Robert Persaud, MBA for the next president of Guyana? Some theorise the new cabinet is a Freedom House creation and Janet Jagan is just clearing the way for Mr. MBA to take the helm in 2011 and she is the one who pushed many of the old guards (like Moses whom she could not control) out of the PPP/C.
Still others, like Peeping Tom, maintain that this Cabinet is a clear indication that Jagdeo is moving out on his own and getting rid of those old geezers (including Nagamootoo and Granny), which would mean that Mr. MBA is actually a Jagdeo protégé.
What do you think? Who is running the country? Is Nagamootoo out because he threatens Jagdeo or because Granny cannot control him? If we interviewed people on the street and asked who they thought was in charge in Guyana, I would venture to guess that the responses would include various names in the upper echelons of Freedom House, but no one would know for sure.
Today I am full of questions and do not have one single answer.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
(Originally published in Guyana's Kaieteur News on 14 September 2006)
Some believe Janet Jagan is still in control of the governing party and therefore, in control of the country. Others, like Peeping Tom, believe President Jagdeo is the one calling the shots now. The one thing we all know for sure is that Moses Nagamootoo does not have a say at all anymore.
So who is running the country? Does Granny still pull the strings from behind the door of Freedom House? Or is Jagdeo bent on creating a legacy for himself that will surpass even that of Cheddi Jagan and is ridding himself of the old guard?
I have heard very convincing arguments from both sides of the spectrum and I cannot help but think there are others who are wondering about this as well. Those on both sides of this coin are also very adamant about their position.
This column is going to be packed full of questions. Of course, I am no more equipped to answer many of these questions than anyone else outside of Freedom House. In fact, I am not sure even those appointed to their new Cabinet positions know the real answer to these queries.
Yet still, the question of whom is controlling of the country must be asked because it is in the answer that we will find the course by which Guyana will have no other choice but to follow for the next five years.
For example, if Peeping Tom is right and Jagdeo is truly in charge now, it would mean the President is the one who gave Nagamootoo a cold shoulder. If this were the case, the next obvious question would be why? Why not keep Moses around since the people love him so much? Or maybe the answer to the last question is in the question itself.
I suppose another very important question is that if Jagdeo really is in charge now, why do people still want to believe that it is Granny who still controls the PPP? Perhaps the reason for this immovable stance is nostalgic or maybe it is fear of change.
Or perhaps people in general are afraid to think of what will become of Guyana if one man really does have too much power again and would rather believe there is an old lady with a familiar face watching over them somewhere.
If this is really the case and Granny is still in charge, does this mean she is the one grooming our Smart and Sharp Robert Persaud, MBA for the next president of Guyana? Some theorise the new cabinet is a Freedom House creation and Janet Jagan is just clearing the way for Mr. MBA to take the helm in 2011 and she is the one who pushed many of the old guards (like Moses whom she could not control) out of the PPP/C.
Still others, like Peeping Tom, maintain that this Cabinet is a clear indication that Jagdeo is moving out on his own and getting rid of those old geezers (including Nagamootoo and Granny), which would mean that Mr. MBA is actually a Jagdeo protégé.
What do you think? Who is running the country? Is Nagamootoo out because he threatens Jagdeo or because Granny cannot control him? If we interviewed people on the street and asked who they thought was in charge in Guyana, I would venture to guess that the responses would include various names in the upper echelons of Freedom House, but no one would know for sure.
Today I am full of questions and do not have one single answer.
Email: StellaSays[at]gmail.com
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