Nearing the end of his presidency, President Bharrat Jagdeo has acknowledged that the local fight against corruption is not over. Lamenting the several cases that have slipped through the court system, and some public servants’ generally laid-back approach to their jobs, Jagdeo made the following comments during an interview with this newspaper recently. “Whilst we have changed the system, we still do have instances of corruption; and so we have to have a stronger focus on prosecution,” the president said while answering a question in regard to his realising the vision he had set out for this country.
Among some of the cases that the state lost which President Jagdeo mentioned were those relating to fuel smuggling.
He also said that government has to work on getting public servants to become more accountable.
“In the public service, many feel they (are) doing a favour to the public, and I would like to see that changed and them becoming more service-oriented.” He said this is one thing he hopes his successor would tackle aggressively.
Political climate
And speaking about Guyana’s political climate, Jagdeo said he is pleased with the way it has matured over the years. He has, however, acknowledged that there is still a lot of pettiness being practised on a day-to-day basis.
Nevertheless, as a system, he thinks the country has evolved. “As a system dedicated to more transparency and choices, we have evolved,” he told Guyana Times International, pointing out that the independence of the Guyana Elections Commission, the large number of observers being invited to monitor the elections, the declaration that the elections are free and fair, and the acceptance of the results by the opposition all point to that evolution.
Further, the president referred to the constitutional changes made during the post-1997 elections, making special mention of the term limit imposed on presidents. He again hailed this as a “massive feature in Guyana’s political architecture”, noting that it is something which does not exist in the rest of the Caribbean, and that it guarantees renewal at the top. Since the term limit was enshrined in the constitution, Jagdeo will be the first president to be demitting office after serving two terms.
Parliament
Asked about the country’s Parliament, which has been a scene of many controversies over the years, Jagdeo said this has also evolved substantially.
He said the Peoples Progressive Party has always been open for greater involvement across parties.
“That is why we were so committed to the constitutional changes which give the opposition opportunities to be involved in every aspect of life…” He spoke of opportunities for the opposition to make inputs in the various constitutional commissions, some of which he acknowledged have not been put in place; but he believes that once these have been put together as a whole, the “opposition would have a huge say in the management of the affairs of this country.” From an executive standpoint, the president said, government is also committed to inclusivity, but he warned that there has to be a commitment to work with the programmes of the administration.
Mentioning Manzoor Nadir of The United Force, Jagdeo said the labour minister had to subscribe to the government’s programme. Should other opposition members be brought into Cabinet and not share the same vision, the president said, there could be a lot of in-fighting, which would ultimately stymie progress.
“But I feel over time there will be greater working relations among our parties; but it cannot be forced, if it is forced, it could be the breeding grounds for stalemate and debates, and this could stymie progress,” President Jagdeo explained.
The combined opposition has often criticised the government for railroading bills through Parliament, and also for apparently not taking their suggestions into consideration on many matters of national importance; but Jagdeo has insisted that his administration does listen to the opposition and takes their views into consideration.
“What the opposition wants, however, is a consensual mechanism for everything, which is not possible,” he emphasised.
Using Parliament as an example, Jagdeo said there were standing orders that determine the process for the tabling of bills and the time one has to give the opposition; the rules of debate, and other matters.
He said every time government tables a bill, these rules are scrupulously observed.
“But the opposition often wants us to go beyond those rules, and if their idea is not taken onboard, they turn around and say government railroad…” Jagdeo argued that all the bills are usually debated in full public view, which gives the opposition another chance to expose the deficiencies in the bills. He insisted that, like all other countries, his government often has to use its majority to get the business of the country done.
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