Dear Editor,
I had the privilege several nights ago to view Attorney General Anil Nandlall’s presentation of the views shared by his party and government on the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (Amendment) Bill as well as opinions they share om the majority of the people’s representatives (opposition).
It would be regrettable and most remiss of me if I failed to mention that Mr Nandlall is a very smart, astute and skilful politician/propagandist. On the programme his well calculated gesticulations and facial expressions gave emphasis to the government’s position on the Bill and the opposition’s posture, and conveyed the almost flawless pretence of genuineness ‒ but we are not fools. The minister’s skilful use of words, some of which the decreased viewership cannot comprehend, was nothing but a well-concocted recipe to deceive the viewers that they really wanted this Bill passed.
The minister’s total domination of the interview made the interviewer appear incompetent and very puppet like, without the ability to give guidance to the discussion and ask the questions that the people really wanted answers to. Questions such as why did the President give his assent to only three of the Local Government Bills? Was the President’s action influenced by legal opinion?
What measures did his ministry take and will take to tackle the indescribable levels of corruption in our country? These are questions that the people need honest answers to.
The well-read minister is clearly aware that the make-up of the parliament is not as it once was. The government is a minority one and the business of governance cannot and will not be as it once was.
In this new situation in the political arena there is a silver lining, one which offers our President a golden opportunity in the history of the region and Guyana where there is a minority government for the first time. This opportunity affords the President the great prospect to stand out among other leaders in this hemisphere, with the chance to demonstrate the ability to harness and epitomize the ‘cooperative spirit’ of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, leading the nation in the manner that reflects the will of the people. The President has the opportunity to lead and leave an indelible mark on the pages of Guyana’s history and the region as he stamps out corruption, puts a cap on crime of all sorts and encourages the essence of what ‘true democracy’ embodies ‒ an opportunity to be a President for the people, by the people. Will the President change this country’s story and become the beacon of change for the people and Guyana’s sake? I guess time will reveal all truths.
Yours faithfully,
Jermaine Figueira
