Dear Editor
Whenever there is a change in administration in any country, ‘political appointees’ demit office. Political appointees were chosen on the instruction of the political directorate presumably because they have some sense of political or ideological or racial affinity with the ruling party, and by extension loyalty to it. On change of government, they leave voluntarily without being asked. Even in a university in America, when a new President takes over, deans and directors of Offices submit their resignations, but the tradition has been to instruct them to continue their service unless the President really wants them out. Would appointees under the previous regime in Guyana submit their resignation now that there is a new government?
The new President should have the freedom to make appointments in important bureaucratic positions, government agencies, state corporations, foreign missions, and the university. All of these heads and top appointees should demit office. The President and his government should have an input in selection to fill these critically important offices that were made in violation of the spirit of democratic governance.
The President and his government come with their own agenda. They would like to implement their manifesto or programme they people vote for. They would like to have persons they are comfortable with in critical posts. Rather than wait to be asked to demit office, the officers should voluntarily submit their resignations. I recall Hydar Ally resigned as PS (to the Education Ministry) when there was a change in administration. If I were appointed to head a department or a management position at UG, I would resign following a change in government especially if I were appointed under a caretaker administration. A new President must have loyalists (with competence) heading every department to execute his or her agenda especially in a country like Guyana where every major appointment is political or racially aligned. Even a professional, non-politically affiliated person like me would not fit in with the goal of a winning party unless asked to undertake a specific task. Parties and candidate run for office to implement their agenda. What would be the purpose of winning an election if appointees of another party are running the affairs of ministries (or the government) and the university?
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Vishnu Bisram
