Both the President and the Leader of the Opposition feel that the dialogue they started is useful five months on though there have not been spectacular developments and some of the joint committees have not been meeting regularly.

President Bharrat Jagdeo believes that the more routine the contacts are the better it will be for the country and neither leader feels any obligation that a statement should be issued every time they meet.

PNC/R leader, Desmond Hoyte worries, however, that the interventions of Prime Minister Sam Hinds could undermine the work of the bauxite committee. He also had concerns about the Prime Minister's role in the promulgation of new broadcast regulations which was part of the remit of the Committee on the Radio Monopoly and Non-Partisan Boards for the state media.

Responding to questions about the state of the dialogue during his press conference on Thursday at the Office of the President and speaking with reporters after, President Jagdeo said that the talks were going well and that the committees were functioning though some of the work was painstaking.

During the press conference, President Jagdeo disclosed that he had met with Hoyte as late as October 8 to discuss the Globe Trust and Investment Company Limited bankruptcy and that there are meetings between himself and Hoyte about which no release would be made.

"Every time we meet we don't have to make a release. I don't think either of us feels any obligation to make a release when we meet and I think that augurs well for the future that we don't only meet to satisfy the press," the President said, observing that "the more routine the contacts between the government and the Opposition becomes it is better for this country". "It should blend in as normal that's the way I think it should evolve."

Bauxite committee

While there appears to have been regular meetings between the President and Hoyte, not all the committees have been meeting with the desired frequency and urgency. Take the bauxite resuscitation committee, which was required to look at proposals for resuscitating the bauxite industry in the Berbice River. This committee, co-chaired by Dr Clive Thomas and Robeson Benn, has not met since late August after completing an evaluation of the concept paper prepared by Alcoa on the way forward for Aroaima. Despite the urgency, the committee is still to meet to open negotiations on the proposals by the Bermine Employees Group for them to acquire the government's stake in the Bermine operations at Everton and Kwakwani. It also proposed making available to Aroaima whose reserves would be exhausted in about three years some 30 million tonnes of ore which Aroaima would mine itself or contract Bermine to supply

The Bermine employees' proposal is an alternative to the Alcoa concept paper. The government favoured the latter and this was the focus of fierce criticism from the unions and opposition parties.

The Alcoa concept paper called for Everton to be closed down, the merger of Aroaima and Kwakwani, which has proven and probable reserves of some 100 million tonnes; the reduction of the workforce from 940 to 400 employees; the capitalization of the US$60 million debt owed by Aroaima to Alcoa. It also proposed paring corporation tax on the profits of the new company.

Unwilling to continue being associated with a company under its management, which has been racking up losses since 1996, Alcoa has walked away from the company ad is to sell its shares to the government for US$1.

The Prime Minister, has been at the centre of all these activities and observers now ask if there is still a role for the committee with Prime Minister Sam Hinds, who has ministerial responsibility for the industry, taking the pre-eminent role. He is handling the negotiations on agreements with Boskalis, J P Knights and Viceroy Shipping on the reduction of their rates as well as those with BPU-Reynolds, Aroaima's sole customer, on the price that would be paid for bauxite and the price at which it is to be sold. He has requested the management of Aroaima and Bermine to begin to explore for undeveloped bauxite bearing areas which could be made available to Aroaima.

Border committee

The Border and National Security Committee finished its work and submitted its report to President Jagdeo and Hoyte. There is no indication that the two leaders have considered it as yet. However, at a meeting on September 4 with the co-chairs of the various committees, the committee was asked to remain in existence. This committee is co-chaired by Ralph Ramkarran SC and David Granger, publisher of the Guyana Review.

The committee on the Radio Monopoly and state media boards is yet to complete its report several months after the deadline it had been given. It had to interrupt its work to look at and make recommendations on the way forward in the light of the broadcast regulations promulgated by the Prime Minister. It has already submitted this report to the two leaders. Stabroek News understands that its full report is being finalized and should be submitted shortly. Minister of Youth, Sport and Culture, Gail Texeira and PNC/R parliamentarian Deryck Bernard are the co-chairs of this committee.

The committee on local government reform which has a 12-month deadline to complete its work is picking up the pace. The committee, co-chaired by Regional Development Minister, Harripersaud Nokta and PNC/R parliamentarian, Vincent Alexander, Stabroek News understands, has completed its review of all the relevant legislation and is moving to consult with local government bodies across the country. The National Democratic Institute has announced that it would be providing assistance to this committee, providing among other things, exposure to experts in local government.