Having, therefore, considered the exchanges in correspondence that have been taking place between President Bharrat Jagdeo and Opposition Leader Desmond Hoyte since the PNC/Reform leader chose to put the dialogue process on "pause", our hope is that the key players of civil society will take the initiative to have the dialogue back on track.

The representatives of the private sector who met with the President to be briefed on the government's efforts to combat the appalling crime situation, had promised to do their part to get the dialogue process resumed.

In response to statements by Mr. Hoyte and his party, on critical of lack of implementation of decisions reached between them, the President had responded to the Opposition Leader with a letter of March 15 that outlined in specific terms the progress that had in fact been made before the surprising decision to put the dialogue on "pause".

Since then, the PNC/R has been engaged in even more strident non-cooperation posturings, failing to participate in the 2002 budget debate and, worse, talking openly of confrontational politics.

Then came a few days ago Mr. Hoyte's latest letter to Mr. Jagdeo justifying the suspension of the high-level dialogue and shifting blame on the President for, as he said, failing to ensure implementation of agreements.

Compromise Needed
It is to be expected that the President will consider the Opposition Leader's letter challenging enough to further clarify the situation and indicate why it is imperative for the dialogue to be resumed in the national interest.

Progress and unity cannot be achieved in a confrontational atmosphere. Worse, with an opposition threatening destabilisation politics because of disagreements over the modalities of the dialogue and the implementation process.

The PNC/R missed a very good opportunity to encourage dialogue in an environment free of threats and conflict when it failed to participate in this year's budget debate. It may not be true, as its critics claim, that it is bent on holding not just the government, but the nation to ransom by its declared policy of "non-cooperation".

But does it really expect full compliance on all it wants in order for the dialogue process to resume? What about the spirit of compromise that both sides must be prepared to reflect?

Surely, the opposition does not expect the government to simply genuflect to its every demand, to the point of sacrificing its own mandate, any more than the government should think that it can afford to ignore the legitimate grievances of the opposition.

That's why we think it timely and relevant for the leaders of civil society to show that creative imagination the situation requires in the pursuit of initiatives that could help bring an end to the impasse and get the dialogue back on track.