Dear Editor,
The two newspapers I deal with (SN and KN) have made clear their intentions. Courtesies, yes; space and letup, not one bit. In the flattest terms: no grace period, comrades. I disagree.
This would be surprising coming from me (of all people), but I believe that the government is due some space, if only to hit the ground running with eyes fixed on the tasks ahead, without having to look over shoulders for the press nipping at its heels and sounding continual alarms. I think any incoming government is owed some time to settle into office, get its act together, and appreciate what it has inherited. It is why I have signaled my own grace period, a sort of honeymoon hiatus of 100 days, during which I would only call out for the terribly disturbing only. I think that this should be the standard. And I tender this, despite the many veterans, who know the ropes; the short span of time out of power; and the presence of institutional, political, and professional knowhow on which to rely.
Now, before proceeding I present two things. First, I have no intention of being one of the new government’s friends. I do not respect it enough to seek to associate with it, for ethically, spiritually, and philosophically, universes separate. I want nothing from it, have less than zero interest in being identified with it. Still, I wish it the best, and desire fervently for it to do well, despite acute misgivings; for when it does well, there is the likelihood that a greater number of Guyanese could also do well. Second, I absorbed my share of arrows in the early days of the coalition administration for supposedly being ‘easy’ and ‘soft’ with it. Though that has some truth, I believe that such was due. Just like I do with the PPP in these formative hours. I go to the pains to point out to my fellow Guyanese that I do not operate in accord with the national stereotype that fits almost all citizens. That is, I think differently and behave differently, with little of the narrow parochial and less of the embittering partisan. It is a strange and unknown drum around here, but I march to its beat. That is why I extend a 100-day honeymoon to the new people. It is fair. Of course, I reserve the right to speak out in the sharpest terms should developments necessitate. And already I sense that there are some troubling flirtations in this regard by the new people. I watch. As an indication of my interest and scrutiny, these days I am actually reading beyond the newspaper headlines.
I detect the recycling of regular loyalists around the plums, but currently leave alone, as I recognize political appointees as a systemic evil. We like having them around; something must be found for those who rolled the right dice, hung on to the right coattails, and came up on the right side of elections. My faint hope is that they will be of country this time, and not the usual feathering of personal nests, as is coming to light again. I go no deeper presently, other than to say I trust that their contract terms are not going to be similar (or richer) than the political appointees they replace. The expectation is that they may be just as dismal in the delivery of what country and citizens need.
On a troubling note, high contributing campaign donors are now flying high with still higher visions of the components they wish to see dismantled and the principled people, who stand in their way, that they want removed. The president himself in his inauguration address had the company of the suspect among his specially invited guests and went to the pains of promising to “dismantle” the work of predecessors. That is a loaded word, which I step around gingerly today, but which must be delightful to the ears of those who paid through the nose for access and influence. Again, I refrain from saying more, even as I discern a Faustian bargain that promises great injury to this society. My grace period extends, despite these observations.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
