After 33 yearsEditorial Yesterday, the new nation of Guyana was 33 years old. After centuries as a colony Independence in 1966 found us divided ideologically and ethnically. The struggle for Independence, such as it was, left us divided rather than united. Once again we had been the subject of external manipulation and the situation was not to improve as the years passed. With the end of the cold war and a new superpower emphasis on democracy in the hemisphere the rules of the game were restored and the government thrown out in the sixties was re-elected in 1992. In the meantime the diaspora that started in the fifties had turned in to a flood and there is hardly a family now without a close relative in those overseas Regions. Moreover, the flow continues, partly due to the pull factor from relatives overseas. Independence enabled us to run our country and to learn the hard lessons that have to be learnt. It faced us with the task of nation building. After 33 years that task remains very much ahead of us, indeed we have arrived at a watershed where constitutional reform is being discussed with a view to possible implementation of an amended system of governance. Though the executive presidency is widely seen as a dictatorial imposition which was neither popular nor necessary it seems likely to remain with us with perhaps some diminution of the presidential powers. The political future remains unclear with an election due in 20 months and the parameters of the new constitution not yet settled. On the economic front we are by any objective measure worse off than we were 33 years ago and our standard of living has fallen below that of our Caricom colleagues. An experiment with widespread nationalisation proved disastrous and led to a steep decline in sugar and bauxite production. The oil crisis made things worse. Our entrepreneurial class was miniaturised and has only gradually been recovering its footing, those who are left. The political leadership on both sides seems old-fashioned and out of touch, stuck in old paradigms (which they do not acknowledge) that are an increasing disincentive to the broad body of citizens and which continue to induce alienation and despair. The prospect of another divisive election based on ethnic voting patterns is almost too much to bear. An honest stocktaking will not fill us with joy. After all these years there is little to celebrate. Nation building remains a difficult task requiring statesmanship and imagination. Economic development requires a clear vision and bold and decisive strategies. Rebuilding our educational system remains a priority. The tasks are formidable and so much time and energy is being wasted in what would in any other than the most cramped and tribal perspective be seen as petty squabbles and manoeuvring. There is now a sense almost of resignation and despair with the political wrangling. Can the energy and the imagination still be found to build a proud and prosperous nation? Will the new constitution give fresh hope? Can private enterprise, which both the main parties now support, create the new industries and jobs that are so badly needed? Can ethnic strife be overcome and put behind us as we end our frustrations, based on failure, and progress with solid achievements? Can we start looking forward instead of backward, can we stop nursing old grievances? These are the questions we must ask as we embark on our 34th year. 
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