NO TIME FOR CUDDLING UP WITH THE JAGDEO ADMINISTRATION!

NO TIME FOR CUDDLING UP WITH THE JAGDEO ADMINISTRATION!
November 6, 2009 | By KNews | Filed Under Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom
http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2009/11/06/no-time-for-cuddling-up-with-the-jagdeo-administration/


Now that visas are being revoked, the government of Guyana is going to wake up and smell the coffee. It is only a matter of time before they concede and appoint either a commission of inquiry into the Guyana Police Force or a variation of an inquiry that they hope will appease those who are outraged about what is taking place in Guyana.
The Guyanese people must not allow themselves to believe that the Jagdeo administration is capable of dealing with the problems of this country.
What is happening in Guyana is a direct result of the attitude of the Jagdeo administration towards the problems of this country, and what is sad is that persons are now beginning to imitate that same attitude in dealing with the media.
The Jagdeo administration only has uses for civil society when they need the support of civil society. All interactions are on the government terms and when they have no more uses for civil society, it’s “Ta Ta”
The government has friends who will come to its rescue, like they did when the President came under criticism for comments he made at a private sector dinner. Those friends were quick to come to the defence of the President.
The government is now once again under serious pressures because of the emergence of a terrorist gang which committed murder, arson and terror in the city a few days ago. The Jagdeo administration needs civil society now. But why should civil society cuddle up to the President? Why having been bitten before should civil society go back to the charade of seeking an accommodation from the government? For what purpose? To be dumped again like they were just after the Lusignan and Bartica massacres? What has come of the commitments that were given to the stakeholders?
Civil society should fight tooth and nail to bring the government to its senses and appoint a commission of inquiry to investigate the outstanding torture claims, but they should be cautious about attending any meeting with the President to discuss this and any other matter such as the Low Carbon Development Strategy.
It should not be business as usual with the government until such time that it demonstrates that it is prepared to act in a responsible manner so as to avoid further shame and embarrassment to this country.
Imagine it had to take the Americans to do something about the infamous sex talk tape. Is it not a disgrace that the Americans have had to act in this matter while the government sits and does absolutely nothing but talk a lot of tripe about what is going on in Guyana?
How come there is no investigation into the sixty-million-dollar house purchased by a clerk? How come there is no investigation into the controversial contracts which were reported on by this newspaper? How come no independent investigation into the ants nest torture reported in the newspaper? How come no investigation into allegations that a Government Minister facilitated the purchase of sensitive equipment for a man who entered into a plea bargain with the US government and is now in jail? Does the government not wish to definitively clear itself of this particular allegation?
What sort of government in the face of the reports by this newspaper of controversial contracts is going to suggest that the Kaieteur News tender for contracts?
How more flippant can one get about what is taking place with allegations about the use of public funds?
What about the ants nest torture case? What is the government for? Is it waiting for the Americans to pull another visa before it acts?
The ruling party is now totally emasculated from effective opposition to what is taking place in the government. The ruling party is powerless to influence what takes place within the government. But there are persons who are far from satisfied with what is going on and they are privately letting it be known that they do not condone the indifference that is being demonstrated by the regime towards serious issues in this country.
They are also concerned that the actions of the administration can affect the popularity of the ruling party and its chances at the next elections. And thus there are serious concerns within the ruling party about the direction in which the government is heading.
This is all the more reason why the national stakeholders must not jump into bed with the Jagdeo administration. Instead they should all make a joint appeal for the government to either concede to the demand for impartial investigations into the matters listed about or face its problems alone.

CABINET OUTREACH

Guyana Chronicle top story, Thursday 20 August 2009
http://www.guyanachronicle.com/topstory.html. CABINET OUTREACH

Cabinet has decided that Region Four will be the area in which the next Cabinet Outreach would take place.

Cabinet agreed that its consultative engagements with Guyanese at the grassroots will continue simultaneously with those on the Low Carbon Development Strategy with a focus on the coastal regions, beginning with Region Four.

The full model would allow events such as community, target group and civil society meetings and media programmes.

On Saturday, at 09:00h, the Region Four outreach will commence with a stakeholder forum at the Guyana International Conference Centre, titled “Conversations on the Future”.

President Bharrat Jagdeo, Minister of Finance Dr Ashni Singh, Minister of Transport and Hydraulics Robeson Benn, Minister of Housing and Water Irfaan Ali, and Minister of Agriculture Robert Persaud will be making presentations on five important areas of national development and responding to queries and clarifications. (GINA)