“Time for consensus building and dialogue” – Foreign Minister

By Michael younge

Foreign Affairs Minister Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett has strongly condemned what is taking place in the National Assembly under “the new dispensation”. She warned opposition parliamentarians that “this is not the time” for them to play a game of “petty politics” at the expense of the country’s improving international image.

Rodrigues-Birkett was speaking during an interview on Monday afternoon with this publication. She said that the recent budget cuts will definitely take a toll on Guyana’s international portfolio, explaining that it is time for idle chatter and the politically motivated game of Russian roulette to come to an end before calling for dialogue and consensus building.

“Of course, it will have an effect on how we are viewed on the international community. In Guyana’s case, we have the money to spend on our people but you have a situation where one section of the Parliament has decided to cut the budget in areas that it will certainly hurt the most,” Rodrigues-Birkett said.

The foreign affairs minister added that it was not politically astute to make those cuts to the budget, as thousands of vulnerable persons are going to be affected in the long run by the move. She said there was no justification for the move, explaining that cuts made by other parliaments around the world occurred because of recessions, which enforced the need for austerity measures.

“Well, I think the onus is on the opposition and they are the ones that will have to rethink their positions,” Rodrigues-Birkett submitted, arguing that she made attempts to persuade her parliamentary colleagues against the cuts.

Using the Low Carbon Development Strategy as an example of an area where the cuts were unjustifiable, the senior government minister argued that the rights to information technology, land demarcation, and a menu of projects were snatched from the hands of the ordinary people.

Guyana has gained international acclaim for its work in climate change, the environment, the rights of indigenous people, and its social spending policies, she said. “The cuts are sending the wrong message to the international donors and partners” about our commitment as a people, Rodrigues-Birkett warned.

“How do you explain that to the Amerindian communities, to Guyana and the international community,” she quizzed. “If one of them had the will and guts to say that ‘I don’t agree, can you rethink this because it will affect the most vulnerable’’ – those line items would have been included in the budget,” she reasoned, noting that the silence of some opposition Members of Parliament was deafening.

“We have to find a way, I think dialogue is important and sometimes when you have a situation where power is placed in the wrong hands at the wrong time and I believe we must look for the future opportunity to right the wrong,” the foreign affairs minister advised.

“I would say that politics is about the possible. I believe in dialogue and I believe that it is possible to have good outcomes,” she said, lauding the president’s resolve to govern Guyana in an atmosphere of consensus building and peace.

Reforms

Minister Rodrigues-Birkett did not dismiss the proposals and positions taken on some issues by the opposition on the need for reforms and better management of the country.

“I am sure there are things that can be done and that is why discussions are important; and we are all for improvements in the systems and whatever can be done better,” she said.

However, she could not comprehend the approach by the opposition which saw them trying to fix things that were never broken in some areas.

“I would say that we should make Guyana the project… this is our country… it is ours to develop and this is what we have to make the paradise, and I think that there so many opportunities now,” she remarked.

Corruption charges

The foreign affairs minister did not fail to make a connection between the baseless accusations of corruption and the country’s international track record, which could easily be affected when officials are stained by an irresponsible media and politicians say sensational things about them.

“I would be the first to say that I cannot guarantee that every single person that works for the government is not corrupt… we have to deal with these issues when they confront us,” she said.

“It is not good enough to just speak about corruption,” Rodrigues-Birkett declared, urging the opposition to understand the importance of submitting concrete evidence on such, so that can action can be taken.

“It is irresponsible to be making up stories… this is not a fictional world that we live in.” She said opposition parliamentarians and politicians must be held accountable and even dragged before the courts for libel when it occurs.

Making the new

dispensation work

Rodrigues-Birkett said the Donald Ramotar administration wants the new parliamentary dispensation to work, explaining that the executive arm of government is willing to see the opportunities, as well as challenges, that lie ahead as it engages the opposition.

“Well, we have been in government for some time, and once you put Guyana first, you will do your best to move Guyana forward,” she submitted.

“We could have been a far way but there were lost years in Guyana after independence,” the minister said, urging those in the opposition to emancipate themselves “from the negativity they are engulfed in”.