Concessions by the Civic
by A.A. Fenty
With apologies to the political purists and stalwarts of correct and accurate language usage, especially Mr Ford, I use "Civic" to mean the PPP/Civic Administration. Using the opportunities presented by a free press, along with the assumption of office of the Western world's youngest head of state, I marvel at the demands being made of this sometimes soft government of a tottering economy. And the youthful President of shrewd promises is being asked to do so much you would believe it's election campaign time. (Politicians must be wary of, and separate political promises from "development promises".) Samuel A.A. Hinds often reminds those who care to be reminded that the PPP/Civic has already made its greatest concession: the lopping-off of a solid two years of its term to accommodate the immediate implementation of a fresh Constitution. Whatever the judge, in her judicial wisdom, finds at the end of the hearing of the Elections Petition, the PPP/Civic will triumph at the next general elections. (Elections, I'm told however, do not solve certain problems.) But the Civic has never really explained to "its people" why it conceded much of what those people gave it. As Ravi Dev would point out, the concession hasn't gained any peace for the Civic or its followers. Incidentally, I found mighty interesting an observation by a United Force voter that he didn't vote for the PPP/C or the PNC but has to be bound by their "Agreements". Those agreements represent to me more concessions by the Civic. The "Con" in the PNC's phony Re-con-ciliation theme paid off handsomely for the PNC, I repeat. Beautiful triumphant political `conmanship', both locally and in CARICOM! So the Civic conceded - shrewdly it might inform me - two years of its tenure, adherence to an accord and an agreement replete with a CARICOM Dialogue Broker; a report on Constitution Reform bullied by a Party which did nothing about the PNC Constitution and recently an agreement to go to Arbitration in spite of the implications now starkly revealed. Poor Civic! (Imagine a gentleman refereeing how we speak to each other!). They are lining up to wring more concessions out of the new President/Leader. Remembering that his government graciously - or stupidly - surrendered two years, he must know whether he could grant or achieve certain necessary targets in the little time left. You know it is probably a good balanced thing that the PPP/C has winning abilities, for could you even think of the PNC conceding any of its term? However that was "achieved"?
Another National Development Strategy The NDS is a national all-embracing Economic Blueprint being designed to guide our destiny into the new millennium future. Quietly, Beautifully, Effectively, Bharrat Jagdeo as Minister of Finance gracefully relinquished this vital task to Dr. King and a National Development Strategy committee which boasts five co-chairpersons - including former PNC activist-Mayor Mavis Benn. No need to pound in the point, but don't we need more of this? Collaboration and co-operation in a hurry? Hope springs eternal. Just an excerpt from Dr. King's account of his Committee's work: "By not expanding our transport and energy systems into our vast interior, we have allowed ourselves to become crammed into a narrow retreating coastal zone, trapped between seawall and backdam. Our capital is hemmed in by the Atlantic Ocean, the Demerara River, and expanses of cane and rice fields, with no adequate outlets for the urgent demands for housing, for industrial development, and for recreation. Too many of us now instinctively look to government, instead of to ourselves, for charting and following our own courses. We are not a confident, self-assured civil society. We have allowed the shadows of our history to dominate our potential and to perpetuate fear. We have become captive to our own racial and political stereotypes".
Kit and Dev I don't agree with Mr Dev's desire to carve up the country but I am somewhat impressed by many elements of his advocacy on behalf of those who are sometimes denied robust representation. So I'd like Mr Kit to question Mr Dev on such issues as how sugar workers compare to public servants and the future of sugar in Guyana's economy.
Farewell....... 2) The Muslims from an MFK Trading enterprise are most merciful persons, it seems. How would they cope with those harsh Islamic laws? 3) Mr President, urge your Home Affairs Minister to re-introduce whippings and hard labour - as in Trinidad. 4) I support breast feeding. I love ladies who breast-feed. I love the milk. I love the containers!
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