Dear Editor,
After the last United Nations General Assembly the President of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, walked out into the brilliant sunshine of New York and marvelled at the sea of yellow cabs moving through the streets. One can see him saying to himself, “Wow, I now see the Ministry of Tourism’s idea at work; I can use this to improve the image of Guyana.” So he gets home and calls a meeting of the taxi operators in Guyana and issues a directive that as of August 2010 all taxis are to have one colour.
Notwithstanding all the problems besetting Guyana: the crime situation, torture by the security services, the absence of local government elections, the abject poverty, institutional and public corruption, the assault on the Guyana Police Force, the demise of the rice industry, the failure of the sugar industry, the fallout from the Roger Khan affair, the allegations of sexual misconduct against an officer in the Office of the President, the fraud being perpetrated as the Low Carbon Development Strategy, our esteemed President can find the time to meet with taxi operators to issue a directive. To his credit, President Jagdeo did not choose a colour for the taxis (bets are on that it’s going to be yellow). So as not to be labelled a micromanager, our President is going to convene another meeting of the taxi operators with no less than two government ministers, Manniram Prashad and Clement Rohee, to select the colour of the taxis. May we suggest that the Commissioner of Police and the Guyana Defense Force Commander be included in this meeting since they too have a stake in the colour selected for taxis.
It is incredible that such high-powered government officers are being brought in to administer this directive. Even more incredible is the reasons articulated for the directive. This move is intended to improve the image of the country and help the security forces. Not only is this laughable but tragic. First, the image of the country is being sullied by the publication of the ills of our society, so now we are going to attract the world to Guyana’s door by having all taxis in one colour. This move is one of pure brilliance and could only have come from the genius of our government. Second, it’s is not good enough that all taxis in Guyana are already registered with the government. The security forces need to see all taxis in one colour to better perform their function. It might do good to explain how this is so.
Most amazingly the taxi operators did not object. This could be for only one of two reasons, to wit: 1) they have no intention of complying with the directive (no one in Guyana follows the law), or 2) they are so imbued with fear of the Jagdeo regime that they dare not object. It will be interesting to see their reaction when the time comes to pay the cost of changing the colour of their vehicles.
One may also raise the question of by what authority does our President have the power to order a directive to the taxi operators to have all their vehicles in one colour. Was this a cabinet decision? Is there legislation to this effect? Did the Minister of Finance consider the loss of revenue (waiving the licensing and radio transmission fees) and costs (educating the operators and teaching them first aid) in his budget presentation to Parliament? As it relates to educating the taxi operators about Guyana, we can hardly imagine who they are going to be telling about Guyana, and shouldn’t they have already learnt about Guyana in primary and high school?
As Guyana pushes to a low carbon economy we envision that taxis will be mandated to drive hybrid fuel-efficient vehicles. Our government has gone from the sublime to the ridiculous. In the tragedy that has become Guyana, this recent development has provided some comic relief.
Yours faithfully,
Michael Burnett
Isn’t Barrat Jagdeo the *EXECUTIVE* president under Guyana’s constitution (which the PPP hated while in opposition)? I guess that means he has executive powers/authority.
I’ve seen some stale, repetitive beating of dead horses drivel being copied down from other anti-government acolytes in my time but this from an ill-advised Mr.Burnett would come near to be a prime example …..
Folks, have a great weekend. For sure, I will be having a good one, enjoying the good life in Barbados knowing that my country Guyana is in very capable and caring hands of this government exemplified by the hands on attention to such pressing issues as the better regulation of the taxi business benefitting those working in the sector and the general public….ahhhh..feels so good….
Reddy, like you I am also enjoying the good life, but here in London and not on the Guyanese tax payers expense. Especially since I know, here, the sky is the limit, that a well educated young man like myself don’t have to kiss any politician’s boots to get a good job, and that the Queen is just a figure head and not a democratically elected dictator. As for the racism, I’ve experienced worse in Guyana.
Oops! look at the time! I have a show to attend at “Her Majesty’s Theatre.” Peace.
All authoritarians/dictators end up this way.
Jagdeo just placed himself as the chief arbitar of the land by deciding whether the police investigation into the 14 year old torture by the very police is adequate or not after two weeks of their ‘investigation’. Never mind our system of government which should seperate Executive from Judicial, it is all a farce under Jagdeo, as much as it was under Burnham. It simply does not exist.
Heads up people, we got a real-life dictatorial force parading around as the head of state of a “democratic” Guyana, all equipped with his decreasing band of shameless apologists in Barbados and around the world.
Nice to know that we get to laugh at them after the fall for the big joke that they have become, just as we’re laughing at the PNC for the big joke that they have become. Could they have imagined it then, could the PPP and their party-hacks imagine it now?
By Executive Order the President can do anything at anytime to anybody and even if it amounts to breaking the law, he cannot be criminaly prosecuted now or after he leaves office. Neither can he be sued now or after he leaves office. The Constitution, meant for Burnham, literally gives the President unlimited powers and immunity from the law. He is literally the law unto himself! And this is why there has to be a change of government so we can change the Constituion so we can have a change in governance approach. BTW, once the President says all taxis must have one color, and it happens, it is just time before he makes more decrees and, like a king, watch as each decree unfolds. Guyanese will eventually move from citizen status to subject status. And I am not being funny at all! :(
I am afraid Guyanese have been at subject status a long time now. Anyone who dares to disagree with the president (and by extension the ruling party) is deemed “unpatriotic” and, more often than not, has to suffer the consequence, a la Walter Rodney and many others who were lucky to escape with their lives. We many such “unpatriotic” claims in these blogs.
I am afraid Guyanese have been at subject status a long time now. Anyone who dares to disagree with the president (and by extension the ruling party) is deemed “unpatriotic” and, more often than not, has to suffer the consequence, a la Walter Rodney and many others who were lucky to escape with their lives. We see many such “unpatriotic” claims in these blogs.
You notice the PPP did not change that part of the Constitution . They are subjects ,Jagdeo said they are his people even the Queen did not say that . This guy make Burnham look like a alter boy.
The name sounds familar ,, if you are who i think you are ,, then ,, you and your patrons need to keep your mouth out of the affairs of GUYANA ,,, cos you and your cohorts help to have it the way it is ! and ,, i’m still to hear about the brigadier general and the bogus papers given to the US embassy !
Jagdeo is the boss and as such he run things!
They should paint the cars in green, this represents Jagdeo’s LCDS initiative.
Where is the $US30 million Clico money that was moved from Bahamas to the US and who authorized the movement?
The gradual erosion of accountability and transparency, no wonder the British scrap the Security plan.
Extracted: “The gradual erosion of accountability and transparency, no wonder the British scrap the Security plan.”
Interesting point! The British scrapped the security sector reform plan for the same reason Norway demanded an independent international body to oversee the US$250M it promised to give Guyana if Guyana can meet the requirements SET BY NORWAY! Neither nation trusts Guyana to manage funds each nation earmarked for Guyana! That’s an indictment to remember for a long time!
And check out the hypocrisy and double standard here by the Jagdeo regime: When the British set their requirements for Guyana to obtain the financial aid towards security sector reform, Jagdeo and company cried ‘comprmising of sovereignty’, but when the Norwegians set their requirements for Guyana to obtain financial aid towards LCDS, Jagdeo and company screamed ‘hooray’. The British must not tell us how to manage their money to us, but the Norwegians can tell us how to manage their money to us.
The dictator has spoken.
“what authority does our President have the power to order a directive to the taxi operators to have all their vehicles in one colour.”
It’s called the Jagdeo Initiative
Most of you are incapable of progressive thinking, we are blessed with a President who can think outside of horse-drawn buses…
The president is trying all kind of things nowadays,out of fear the taxi drivers would comply,i don’t agree with all taxi’s of the same color,taxi’s should be of different color but must display the taxi logo on their car.The president should bring in Hybrid cars and sell them to Taxi owners instead of only talking about his low carbon strategy.
This must be the silly season for you,does the Govt. of the US sell cars,Hybrid cars run upwards of 25k.
common decency is a major problem for some:::::
Ignorance of develoment is somethig we inherit from our fore parents..
You’re right Evileyes, start with the man in the mirror…
Jagdeo can order anybody to do anything he is a dictator.
Jagdeo acts as if he owns the Country.It’s his people , his Gov and when he says jump all the followers jump.
Damn right, he’s doing it, and you notice the people are as docile as ever?
If he was in Jamaica, he wouldn’t be talking at all!