Dear Editor,
This being my last letter to the press for the year 2010, I want to take this opportunity to wish all our people the best of health, mental strength and happiness. They should enjoy themselves and resolve to work even harder in 2011 to free our nation from the corrupt, unjust and unrighteous forces that are suppressing progress.
I was drawn to the Washington Post blog captioned ‘At Cancun blunt talk.’ Blunt talk it was, but one can only be blunt when one is on the side of righteousness. What I know with absolute certainty is that neither Arthur Chung nor Forbes Burnham nor Desmond Hoyte nor Cheddi Jagan nor Janet Jagan would have been caught publicly making such an irresponsible public statement like, “We’ve delivered the results and then someone is telling us how we have to spend our money too.”
Permit me to assure the Guyanese public that the last time I checked this money belongs to the taxpayers of Norway. The Norwegian money will only be released and transferred to Guyana upon verified results being certified by the World Bank. My colleague at the World Bank has advised me that the verification of the data is still a work in progress.
The World Bank went further to tell us that the Steering Committee is still to request the funds. President Jagdeo is very economical with the truth since the Steering Committee is chaired by the Government of Guyana. So why ‘cuss’ the World Bank? The world is not New Garden Street where one can ‘cuss’ and preferential treatment is granted out of fear.
It is a well-known fact in the international donor community that many key people have serious issues with the transparency and accountability of the Jagdeo regime. Thus it is not surprising that the World Bank is working towards a risk-free transaction where all of the systems are 100% in place to preserve full accountability of the funds before disbursement commences. The people have to do what they have to do based on the financial history they have with the regime, and its track record on financial accountability is appalling.
This crass attitude of begging for other people’s money and then ‘cussing’ the donor on top of the begging, is a departure from the Guyanese tradition. This is tantamount to biting the hand that feeds you. It is most ungrateful. The foreparents of most Guyanese never indulged in such attitudes, so why the determined attempt to set this precedent? This present behaviour is way below the minimum standards set by our worst predecessor president. International forums are not the Mahaica Market.
The presidency of Guyana is just a speck on the global scene, and because of this the office-holder must use diplomatic excellence to enhance their position at the negotiation table. A ‘cuss out’ is leadership 101 in how not to make friends and get help. A President should not burn bridges, since no one but the people suffers. People should be fair and acknowledge that with such an abysmal track record on human rights, crime, the drugs fight, corruption, discrimination, respect for the rule of law, and most importantly, moral fortitude, the Jagdeo regime is no authority to provide certification that the money will be spent in the specified way.
It is clear as crystal that the international community has serious issues with the credibility of the regime, especially where the issue of the transparent use of grant funds is concerned. Just ask Mr Prakash Ramjattan who has been bombarded with a lot of these positions since he is now seen as the only leader who can save Guyana. I suspect the Wikileaks document will be more forthcoming on how the international community feels about the regime.
Why are we paying the scores of advisors in New Garden Street? They should be educating the office-bearer to become an ambassador of the Guyanese people. Every word must be chosen carefully and measured before it is used. There is no room for noise at that level, but strong diplomatic language if a wrong has taken place. It is unfortunate they did not realize that Norway was being very clear that their taxpayers’ money would only be spent when they were fully satisfied with the transparency and accountability of the systems to spend the funds. That assurance is not in place as yet.
The President has come across as loud and unduly aggressive; surely he realizes the Norwegians will be washing their hands of Guyana after the US$250 million and our next President is now saddled with a liability. Norway is a rich country and they could have helped us even beyond the promised US$250 million. There is a time and place for everything.
Once can understand the source of Mr Jagdeo’s frustration, since as the longest-serving President of the PPP, there is only a limited number of deliverables to show for his tenure which is swiftly coming to an end. But that is all water under the bridge and it is time to move on, time to move on to Prakash Ramjattan and the AFC for them to rebuild Guyana and its image.
As a Guyanese, today I hang my head in shame as I wonder, are we any better off today under an elected dictatorship as compared to the Hoyte era?
Yours faithfully,
Sasenarine Singh
