Editorial
Stabroek News
May 26, 2001

35 years after independence only the most optimistic will be able to find something to celebrate. A divided society, a stagnant economy and an unstable climate for investment, the queues for emigration as long as ever and a new breed of hatemongers ready to put the lid on the coffin.

How have we got into this dreadful mess, into a situation in which extra-parliamentary politics have virtually become the norm, in which the possibility of a normal, peaceful life has become an impossible dream, in which most people live privately in despair, wondering what next will befall the country.

It was the left wing politics in the early fifties which started the emigration of the old business, executive and administrative class with their skills and experience. Then there were the ethnic troubles in the early sixties, creating a division in the society from which it has never really recovered. The long Burnham era, the rigged elections, the discrimination, and the human rights abuses coupled eventually with nationalisation and the paramountcy of the party led to alienation and the collapse of the economy. There was a massive brain drain and the educational system was left in shambles.

The society has never really recovered from that prolonged trauma. There was some economic growth from l990 but it started from an extremely low base in which there had been falling real wages for many years. The standard of living had fallen well below the rest of the Caribbean and Guyana had become one of the poorest countries in the hemisphere.

It is not a legacy that is easy to overcome, especially given the continuing turbulent politics and ethnic strife. The protests that have followed the l997 and 200l elections have led to a new level of political instability and have all but brought the country to a halt in terms of development.

Where do we go from here? Dialogue and the resulting committees have held out some hope but there are countervailing negative trends. Some suggest we have reached the end of the road, that the Westminster winner take all model has not worked and that we have to experiment with new forms of governance. But the two main parties have not agreed.

Another effect of mass emigration has been that the skill levels in most areas are now very low, ranging from management to the civil service to public works contracting. Those in touch with government ministries and regional councils are well aware of the routine inefficiency and indiscipline.

Even if we get the politics right it's going to be a long haul back, re-establishing some kind of work ethic, educational standards and the ability to run a modern society which does not now exist. Without a political rapprochement of some kind, which will require mature leadership, there is no hope.