New leadership for the new generation
By Ricky Singh
WITH the expected visit later this month to Guyana by St. Lucia's Prime Minister, Kenny Anthony for talks with Guyanese political leaders, there is once again the guessing game about a possible meeting between President Bharrat Jagdeo and People's National Congress (PNC) leader, Desmond Hoyte. After at least two known postponements of his visit, with the primary intention of being able to meet with both the President and the PNC leader, separately and also hopefully together, the question is: In what capacity will Jagdeo and Hoyte meet jointly with Anthony - assuming such an elusive event does take place! Anthony's mission on behalf of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) is related to the CARICOM-brokered `Herdmanston Accord' and the `St.Lucia Statement' on post-1997 election political developments and with inter-party (PPP/PNC) dialogue being one of the major provisions. Both of those agreements were signed for implementation by former President Janet Jagan and the PNC leader. Jagan had signed on behalf of the ruling People's Progressive Party/Civic of which she was the presidential candidate for the December 1999 poll, and Hoyte for the PNC. For all her known enormous influence within the PPP - in or out of governmental office - the widow of Cheddi Jagan and also a founder of the PPP, is not the leader of her party. General Secretary Donald Ramotar is the `de facto', if not `de jure' leader. The "magnanimous spirit" for which she was praised by the head of the original CARICOM `goodwill' mission to Guyana, Henry Forde, in making possible the `Herdmanston Accord', was to be shown throughout Jagan's 20-month presidency - the Office she used to give legal substance to that Accord. Indeed, while Hoyte was playing his politics of "non recognition" of the Janet Jagan Presidency, and showing in the process the bitterness and frustration of a very bad loser, she was giving assent to relevant legislation for the PNC leader and his colleagues to be saved from losing their parliamentary seats, and for a Constitution Review Commission to be established. Now that her influence and a democratic process within the PPP have ensured that the 35-year-old Finance Minister, Bharrat Jagdeo, succeeds her as Executive President in accordance with the Guyana Constitution - a point hard for the PNC to acknowledge - then a Jagdeo-Hoyte meeting can take place in two ways: Jagdeo could be authorised by the PPP/Civic to act on its behalf in fulfillment of the provisions of the `Herdmanston Accord and its related `St.Lucia Statement' and consistent with continuity of the Jagan presidency. As such, he and the 70-year-old PNC leader can meet as representatives of their respective parties with Anthony. The party could also, of course, if it chooses, name Ramotar to follow through, on its behalf, the fulfillment of the two Accords with Hoyte. Since the latter has not assumed the constitutional role of Minority Party Leader, the two will meet as representatives of the two major parties. Or, having been out-manoeuvred by their own `Burnhamist'-framed constitution, Hoyte, confronted with internal problems of leadership and funding of the PNC, can also surprise his critics by meeting Jagdeo as President to follow-up on the Accords - though no one seriously harbours such hope against the background of negative, destructive politics pursued by the PNC since it lost the country's second free and fair elections dating back to 1968. Still very much desirable, the Jagdeo-Hoyte meeting cannot be accurately said to be a matter of priority for either the President or the PNC leader. But it is the PNC, at this stage, that stands to lose more out of the failure of such a meeting to take place than the PPP/Civic, as time will prove. Last week, in writing on `Politics and Justice in Jamaica and Trinidad', I noted that given the burden of their respective political tribalism and ethnic divisions and the extent of their socio-economic and political problems, Jamaica and Guyana are two Caribbean Community states that could benefit from a period of national government, based on the valid votes cast at free and fair election..." But I guess this will have to wait for a post-Hoyte leadership structure in the PNC and the results of new elections. At this time, while the PPP/Civic is clearly laying the foundation for the new Jagdeo-led list of candidates for 2001, the PNC is grappling with an old issue that it can no longer ignore if it hopes to be a creditable alternative: It is the issue of an old leadership structure that is still firmly in an old man's control. At this time when, under the guise of "scholarship" and "social commentary" a few well-known elements in opposition parties and sections of the media are engaged in self-serving re-writing of Guyana's social and political history - follow, for example, some recent publications, "reviews" and letters - it is also relevant to ask whether Hoyte was ever considered as Forbes Burnham's most likely successor. Perhaps some of those who were once very close, ideologically and otherwise to Burnham, but were subsequently swiftly shifted to insignificant positions or simply pushed aside, may care to bear witness. There seems to be no evidence to confirm that Burnham had Hoyte in mind to succeed him as either President or PNC leader. Those who can prove otherwise should enlighten the Guyanese public. A question that cannot also be ignored is whether, had Burnham the opportunity to identify a successor while in hospital for surgery - as happened in the post-surgery case of Cheddi Jagan - he would not have named his wife, Viola, known for her charm and competence, then a Vice-President and leader of the influential women's arm of the party. We would never know what a difference a Viola Burnham presidency could have made for Guyana to that of Hoyte's seven years - itself the result of delayed national elections. But contrary to her bitter and frustrated critics - among them those who write their anti-Jagan articles with little respect for facts and lacking in courage to reveal their identity - Janet Jagan's enlightened leadership, goodwill and sheer commonsense may have saved this country from descending into chaos and ruin in the face of repeatedly orchestrated destabilisation power politics following the 1997 election. Now, as the PNC agonises over the issue of future leadership - beyond the 78-year-old Hoyte, who has already lost two free and fair elections - and while the PPP seeks to manage the political grumblings and tantrums within its own fold, well ahead of election 2001 with Jagdeo as President, we must all look forward to the best possible national leadership that Guyana deserves. With or without any further involvement of CARICOM, with or without a visit to Guyana by Prime Minister Anthony, with or without a Jagdeo-Hoyte meeting, Guyana's problems must ultimately be solved, PEACEFULLY, by Guyanese. And done so with the understanding that this society has irreversibly entered the post-Burnham-Jagan phase of a new, young generation of political leadership with personalities in all the parties willing to take on the challenges ahead.
|