Well, it appears that the President and the Leader of the Opposition (LoO) will finally be meeting. Two weeks from now, the DPI says. Now this long gestation period for political events looks like it’s becoming the new normal for Guyana. Ever since it took 5-months to have a declaration of our 2020 election results!! That provenance of that world-record event, of course, was occasioned by the PNC’s barefaced attempt to rig the said elections.
Then we had that three-month wait between the PNC selecting its leader finally having him named as LoO. This one was caused by the internecine warfare between the factions in the PNC – the “new”, who were actually led by the OLD Sanctimonious Gangster) and the “old” – led by the not so young Norton. He’d been around forever so was an “old head”!! The delay in the naming of the LoO – which is a constitutional office – held up the official appointment of a substantive CoP and the Chancellor and Chief Justice of the Judiciary. The constitution demands the President “consults” the LoO in these matters.
But for a while, there WAS a LoO in shape of Lil Joe Harmon. The PNC, however, had insisted that the PPP a government – and therefore Pres Ali – was illegitimate since they’d been “installed” by the Americans, who’d “fixed” the elections!! Now, it didn’t bother them that if that were so then the LoO was as “installed” and “illegitimate” as the PPP govt!! And shouldn’t have been enjoying the salaries, funding and perks of office!! But contradictions never fazed the PNC, did they?
Anyhow, now that Norton’s finally in office (LoO) and the PNC hasn’t been trumpeting their “installed” claim, Pres Ali quickly moved to get on with the business of the country. He scheduled a meeting with Norton to discuss matters within his constitutional remit – the constitutional appointments. But things are never straight with the PNC, are they? “Crooked like a barbed wire” a British Lord once charged!!
Norton’s demanding wider discussions on god-knows what matters!! All we know is if they matter to the PNC, then they have to do with them wanting to dictate the government’s agenda. It’s always “looking out for number one” with the PNC!! Now, in principle, there’s nothing wrong with knowing the PNC’s concerns. After all, they received enough votes to give them 31 seats (The AFC? They’re actually PNC!)? But the constitution identifies the place where their concerns should be raised and addressed – PARLIAMENT!!!
They have the power to present private bills, move motions, ask questions on the floor etc – and examine the entire workings of government in the Sectoral Committees.
The PNC gotta learn to follow rules!!
…on colonial relations?
With the world order in the throes of another seismic change, Britain’s desperately trying to retain a modicum of influence. It’s a reflex from the “glory” days of its Empire on which “the sun never sets”. After WWI, the US started to move in and after WWII, the Brit’s had become a junior partner when its Empire became independent. It insisted it had a “special relationship” with the US. In Europe it tried to box above its weight category and finally the contradictions led to them Brexeting and going it alone.
The Commonwealth was supposed to accord Britain a primus inter pares relationship with its former colonies…and it did for a while. But that seemed to’ve gone out with a whimper. So what’s Britain to do? Well…never give up – that’s what!! Stiff upper lip!! They still act like they’re a great power…but sadly, it can get embarrassing.
Like with PM Boris Johnson visiting India last week. It didn’t even make the headlines!!
…of the minds
It’s said, as a society, we have a “social contract” with the state we formed – and by implication with the government we elect periodically to manage it.
Pres Ali’s activism is widening the meeting of minds to legitimize that contract!!
