A balanced public service that reflects Guyana is the first step towards professionalizing it

Dear Editor,

The Peeping Tom article on Priya touched on a few salient points. One of the points included whether the PPP has the will to remove political appointees in the ministry thus ensuring a new vision and successful strategies are employed. The view by many persons is that the PPP simply doesn’t want to do this in the public service. There are many instances where the PPP embraced the PNC supporters in the public service hoping that this will project the PPP as being neutral. Priya is no exception to this PPP action. One hopes that the lost of government in 2015 and the five months of post election nightmare for this nation will change this view. An evolving modern intelligent nation will not simply leave this to hope during election cycles.

The PPP government cannot be successful if 90% of the public service is supportive of the PNC. How can it successfully execute its agenda. Having a few high placed officials who are PNC supporters will not assist the PPP. The PNC has no difficulty with packing the public service with its supporters with no regard to how this looks.

PNC supporters were in top positions in the public service during the PPP 23 years’ reign. These persons ensured that persons who may be PPP supporters were not employed. These high placed PNC supporters frustrated one group by denying them promotion. Appeals to the PPP fell mostly on deaf ears. The PPP lost the 2011 and 2015 elections. They held on to the executive in 2011. They won the 2020 elections by 1 seat in parliament. One hopes that the PPP has gotten the message. It cannot be successful unless the public service, the largest employer in Guyana is balanced and reflects the composition of Guyana. This is more likely to increase the PPP majority in parliament in future elections.

A balanced public service that reflects Guyana is the first step towards professionalizing it and ensuring it is an objective organization that can step up and serve whichever government in office. The composition of GECOM is a clear indication of how things can and will go horribly wrong.

Sincerely,
Harrish Singh