IN THIS “season of goodwill”, there appears to be emerging an encouraging display of political goodwill on the part of governing and opposition parties in Guyana.
In the wake of the November 28 presidential, parliamentary and regional elections, the incumbent People’s Progressive Party/Civic retained the executive presidency, vested with very significant constitutional powers, but it lost control of the 65-member National Assembly by one seat.
A resort to street protests by the main opposition party, A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), which is dominated by the People’s National Congress (PNC), sparked fears beyond the capital, Georgetown, of a new season of political turmoil to which the citizens of that nation are no strangers.
However, with the new president Donald Ramotar demonstrating willingness to keep the lid on protests and anxious for cooperation with the opposition, a meeting was arranged last week of representatives of the combined opposition APNU and the Alliance for Change (AFC), which together hold 33 of the parliamentary seats to 32 by the PPP/C.
The outcome was a “joint statement” that reflected a shared mature political approach in the national interest.
They agreed to exchange a list of respective “priorities issues” by yesterday for “discussions” at another meeting scheduled for tomorrow.
Further, that the new parliament will not be convened this month and that two “finance persons” from the combined opposition would meet with Finance Minister Dr Ashni Singh “in the near future” for consultation on preparation of the 2012 budget.
The head of state has declared that he felt comfortable to engage the parliamentary opposition in “constructive dialogue”, as he will also continue to do with representatives of the private sector and other segments of the society.
Guyana has long been identified as the most promising “bread basket” within CARICOM, and its social and economic progress in a peaceful, rule of law environment is clearly of much concern for its Caribbean Community partners.
Of immediate concern, however, in relation to post-election tripartite dialogue at the level of government and opposition parties is the unsettling disclosure last week by the Guyana Police Force that “remnants of insurgents” who have been involved in a spate of murders and criminal attacks against the state, “are still lurking around”, even as few of them remain imprisoned.
The hope is that while the governing directorate is responding to priority issues in cooperation with the parliamentary opposition, the security high command of the police and army will remain vigilant against a resurgence of the “insurgents” who had unleashed their criminal upsurge over a four-year period.