THIRD ANNIVERSARY REFLECTIONS
Editorial
Guyana Chronicle
March 21, 2004
PARTY politics being what it is, do not expect the government's opponents to give any recognition to the significant gains it has made in areas such as debt reduction, increased spending for poverty alleviation, improvement in housing development and land allocation.
Or, the Bharrat Jagdeo-headed administration's initiatives to also strengthen cooperation with Caribbean Community partners and border neighbours like Venezuela and Brazil.
But on its third anniversary after returning to office on March 19, 2001, the PPP/C Government, currently in its third consecutive term since coming to power in October 1992, was last week in a fortunate position to point to some of its more significant achievements, even as it continues to be the butt of some virulent criticisms from the political opposition.
It was, for instance, able to point to some fifty percent reduction - US$1 Billion - in the debt burden it had inherited from the long rule of the People's National Congress, as well as the continuing flow in foreign and local investments to boost economic development in various sectors.
Just yesterday, there was the report of a US$65 million debt relief from the Inter-American Development Bank as a consequence of that institution's satisfaction with the government's positive responses under the Enhanced HIPC Initiative.
In terms of protecting Guyana's fisheries and other marine resources, as well as erasing doubts over maritime boundaries, the government has entered into a maritime treaty with Barbados that facilitates joint cooperation in their Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).
It had much earlier formally lodged its concerns with Trinidad and Tobago and Venezuela and also the United Nations Secretary General over Guyana's interest as it may be affected by a 1990 treaty signed between those two member states of the Caribbean Basin.
Border relations
As President Jagdeo was to subsequently make clear, none of those initiatives was exercised with prejudice to Guyana's deep interest in maintaining the best of relations with Trinidad and Tobago, Barbados and Venezuela.
At the same time, anxious that Guyana is able to remove all hurdles to its capacity in exploiting its maritime resources, the government took the major step last month in referring for international arbitration, under the provisions of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the age-old maritime dispute with Suriname, also a member state of CARICOM.
Compared with the verbal spat and tension then existing between Barbados and Trinidad and Tobago over fishing rights and maritime delimitation disputes, the Guyana Government made an emphasis of a non-confrontational approach in its UNCLOS initiative in relation to Suriname.
It has since mounted a very impressive legal team while continuing to hold out hopes for improved and mutually satisfactory relations with Suriname, even as it expands good relations also with Venezuela and Brazil that promise to materialise in new economic development projects and improved functional cooperation.
However, getting the high-level dialogue process with the main opposition PNC/R back on track, remains an unresolved issue that both sides need to vigorously work at to remove whatever hurdles stand in the way.
Both sides, after all, have a responsibility to do everything possible and practical to ensure a peaceful and stable climate for Guyana's social and economic advancement in the interest of all its peoples.