Since 1997, Guyanese at home and abroad have been calling on the country’s two main political parties to hold meaningful and genuine dialogue, which would see them resolving their ideological and philosophical differences with the aim of putting the country first.
The citizenry had also supported a wave of constitutional reforms as proposed by the National Assembly in the early 2000s, as a key step towards building trust, inclusionary democracy, and political consensus among the country’s key political parties and interest groups.
However, despite the best efforts of some key independent personalities, agencies and external forces — including former United States President Jimmy Carter — the Peoples National Congress Reform (PNC/R) and the Peoples Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) have not been able to broker any agreement or deal that could be dubbed ‘solid’ enough to usher in a period of true political reconciliation, healing and appeasement.
As a matter of fact, for years, successive PPP Administrations under the presidencies of Janet Jagan, Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar continued to engage their Opposition counterparts on a number of matters, as adumbrated by the letter and spirit of the Constitution. While there was minimal progress recorded on some fronts, many of the more substantive issues remained unresolved because the two sides could not agree or arrive at comprises that could see them moving ahead without either side feeling deceived, defeated or wounded. The fact that the country has been without a substantive Chancellor of the Judiciary since 2005 and confirmed Chief Justice since 2015 is enough evidence of the inability of the two sides to arrive at a plausible agreement even when the Constitution compels it.
Also, whenever these engagements conclude, there is a return to the normal status quo and the resumption of the trading of infantile and puerile political barbs that sometimes do nothing to build the country up or move it out further away from being described as ‘racially and politically polarised’ or ‘divisive’. In fact, the continuing political wars between the PNC and PPP have deepened the rifts and conflicts among different sections of our society, to the point where some are disillusioned and others are going through a state of hopelessness, because they feel that democracy is not delivering the ‘goods’ that it should.
The populace, recognising this, utilised their ballots back in 2011 and 2015 to shift the dynamics and demand results. They changed the configuration of the Legislature, and then who comprised the Executive. They demanded an end to partisanship and political grandstanding by compelling the two parties to dialogue more and talk more.
It is in this context that the decision by President David Granger on Thursday last week must be seen. The President has now publicly committed himself to leading discussions with the PPP on a number of areas, inclusive of oil and gas and the environment. He made the decision after the PPP continued to highlight that Prime Minister Nagamootoo cannot lead the talks because he is viewed as not in a position to make any serious or binding commitments on behalf of the coalition Government.
While many are disappointed that more pertinent issues, such as constitutional and electoral reform, were not singled out first for special talks, they are satisfied that talks are still going to take place. And when these talks do materialise, the President and the Opposition Leader must ensure that they do not fail, and that a lot of care and caution is taken whenever discussing sensitive issues that could impact future talks — the notion of trust and dream of enhanced political cooperation between the PNC and the PPP.
