The Herdmanston Accord
There is increasing depression at every level of the society. The reason is that everyone senses that the Herdmanston Accord, signed on the 17th January, 1998 by the leaders of the two main political parties, has not generated the spirit of goodwill or the constructive discussions that were envisaged. Far from this, there is continuing division and bitterness exemplified by the holding of separate Mashramani celebrations and a concert to compete with the flag raising ceremony for Republic Day. More than that, the opposition continues to make it clear that it does not recognise the government. Surely this is not what the three wise men who helped to negotiate the Accord or the Caricom Prime Ministers had expected would follow. True the street protests have stopped as agreed but the dialogue so far has been perfunctory and related to procedural matters. The vast majority of Guyanese had hoped that the Accord would lead to constructive discussions about the future of the country and a spirit of compromise. There has been no evidence of this. All being well the work of the audit team could start on or about the 8th March, 1998 and the first audit could be completed within two weeks. The team may find that the official election results were more of less accurate or at least not sufficiently wrong to affect the result or they may find otherwise. Their finding will be admissible in evidence in the election petition that has been filed by virtue of a law to be passed in parliament so the issue of the election results will not be finally settled until the election petition has been heard and determined. In the meantime, this unresolved situation hangs like a cloud over the nation. Parliament will also pass a law to set up a Constitution Reform Commission. That is required to complete its report by the 17th July, 1999. The process for implementing the changes recommended by the Commission and approved by the National Assembly must then be concluded in time to allow for post-reform general elections by 17th January, 2001. Without goodwill and compromise this is not an appealing prospect. Nor is the Constitution Reform Commission likely to achieve much as the support of both parties is required for constitutional change. The effect on the country of the post election protests has already been severe and business is in the doldrums. Can Caricom or anyone else get the leaders to the bargaining table to start serious discussions? Why is progress so unbearably slow? 
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