Dear Editor,
Commendations to President Irfaan Ali on his idea of a formal meeting to engage and indeed seek the help of all former presidents. Let it become a formal institution with structure, organization and regular statutory meetings. And, why not broaden it to include leaders of all serious contesting parties? They too have important ideas about governance, national policies and conflict resolutions to share.
I would like to offer three agenda items for this national discussion on December 15th:
(1) Our politics are over-racialized. Find ways to tone it down, scale it down. Parties in a largely bi-racial society (just simplifying, not refusing to recognize other races) should not be governed by parties that are perceived as racial. This in itself would engender opposition based on racial prejudices. Transform your parties into genuine multiracial parties. The perception that PNC is African, PPP Indian, hardcoded into the consciousness of the population will not disappear overnight – but surely it can be mitigated, and this shall make each party more attractive to the alternative race group. Potentially, it could also prevent outbreaks of racial unrest like what the nation experienced in the West Coast Berbice villages recently.
(2) The List System is a terrible idea. It does not promote the concept of representative government. It does more harm than good. It is time to abolish it. Adopt the U.S. system. Let candidates from each of the 53 electoral districts run for seats in the parliament. They must be held accountable to their constituency. They must also reside in the district.
(3) Guyana needs a fair Oil Contract. Numerous precedents exist of Oil Contracts being re-negotiated. Guyana’s contract is plainly a rip-off.
Suriname has the same PSA-type contract. Consider that: (a) Suriname’s royalty is 6.25%; Guyana’s is 2%. (b) Suri-name’s profit sharing is 20% of revenues; Guyana’s is nominally 12.5% (c) Oil Company pays Suriname 36% corporate income tax on profits; pays zero % to Guyana.
Now these items of the contract are nothing but killer items. They cry out for help. Guyana can do better.
To all presidents (former and current) please do not force the Guyanese people to swallow these unconscionable terms of a very bad contract. It is a national humiliation to the Guyanese people. Please help regain their national honour.
Yours faithfully,
Mike Persaud
