By Rickey Singh
THE PRESIDENT of the Republic of Guyana, Bharrat Jagdeo, is a Caribbean Community (CARICOM) political leader who is very much on the move – nationally, regionally and internationally and often seemingly in a rush against time. Now that he is heading into the final year of his full two-term presidency, (the limit under Guyana’s constitution), he appears even more in a hurry to get things done. The danger is that some decisions, or initiatives, hastily made could later prove problematic. I will reference a particularly significant example from earlier this week, but do not expect the get-things-done-quickly Guyanese head of state to agree with my contention: It relates to Guyana’s relations with eastern border neighbour Suriname which, like Venezuela on the west, has a controversial claim to demarcated Guyanese territory.First, however, let it be noted that while President Jagdeo is busily engaged in major initiatives for Guyana’s economic development, his governing People’s Progressive Party (PPP) is increasingly revealing signs of preparedness to identify a presidential candidate to succeed him at new national elections due not later than the final quarter of 2011.
Until recently the PPP’s long-serving General Secretary – since 1992 when the party returned to power under its founder-leader Dr Cheddi Jagan – Donald Ramotar, has been viewed in some quarters as a virtual shoo-in after Jagdeo. But this seems no longer to be true, as made pellucidly clear less than two weeks ago when the Speaker of Parliament, Ralph Ramkarran, a senior counsel and, like Ramotar, with a long history in the decision-making councils of the PPP, announced he was available to be nominated for the presidency. President Jagdeo, sensitised to Ramkarran’s bid for presidential nomination, following his return from China with Ramotar in his delegation, would know the implications for the PPP should there be an open contest between the two party stalwarts–albeit to no distinct advantage to opposition parties. However, with a lot on his political plate, Jagdeo should perhaps move more cautiously at this stage on matters of state.
For instance, while preparing to leave Guyana last Wednesday on a one-day official visit to Venezuela – announced the previous day – President Jagdeo also disclosed his congratulations to the Surinamese political leader, Desi Bouterse, on his election by the Suriname Parliament as new president. Under normal circumstances, this would be expected. But the politics involving Bouterse and Suriname are not “normal”. It is true that Guyana is most anxious to foster and maintain good relations with border neighbours, Suriname and Venezuela. Both have controversial claims to Guyana’s demarcated territory. Going to Venezuela on Wednesday on an invitation from President Hugo Chavez and the signing of bilateral agreements, is understandable. But why the haste to congratulate Bouterse who was elected by parliament on Monday but yet to formally assume the presidency on August 3?
In 1999 a court in the Netherlands had convicted the 64-year-old Bouterse, in his absence, to 11 years in prison for cocaine trafficking. And the former military ruler has been awaiting the final outcome of a court trial in Suriname on his alleged involvement in the 1982 murder of 15 political opponents. This court is scheduled to meet again today.
