Putting country first

It is quite unfortunate that former President David Granger declined President Dr Irfaan Ali’s invitation to meet with former presidents to engage in “frank discussions” on national issues. Many were hoping that Mr Granger would have used the opportunity to put national interest in front of party politics, especially considering the events post March 2 General and Regional Elections, which saw his party attempting to alter the results of the polls in his favour.

However, in his usual style, Mr Granger sought to play with words, in what was considered a straightforward matter which could have been worked out easily if he had attended the meeting in the first place. Granger, in a statement days before the meeting was scheduled to begin, said the invitation he received neither explained the purpose of the intended meeting nor recommended an agenda for examination.

The statement explained: “There was no indication of the preparation that would be needed, the relevance of the engagement to government policies, and the outcome that would be expected from deliberations. The President’s intention, on the other hand, according to newspaper reports, was to generate ideas on ‘Guyana’s development’”.

Mr Granger also alluded to certain governmental actions in relation to the rate of deaths as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic; unwarranted dismissals of public servants; harassment of Elections Commission officials, and human rights violations. For many, this is seen as unnecessary political banter, which Mr Granger is known for since he took office as President in May 2015 up until his defeat at the March 2020 polls.

In what was seen as a magnanimous political gesture, President Ali had made it clear that the meeting was intended to bring all the former presidents together in a free-flowing discussion, one in which they could have all placed issues they have a passion about on the agenda. And following the initial discussions, steps would be taken to have the issues characterised into various categories in an effort to move forward.
Notwithstanding, the engagement went ahead on Tuesday with President Ali and former PPP/C presidents Donald Ramotar, Samuel Hinds and Dr Bharrat Jagdeo. From all indications, a number of important issues were discussed, among them border security, Guyana’s sovereignty, Electoral and Constitutional Reform and environmental concerns etc.

We believe that Mr Granger missed a golden opportunity to commence a process which could have laid the groundwork for a more meaningful political dialogue between the Government and the Opposition. Mr Granger could have attended the meeting armed with his own set of issues he wished to see placed on the national agenda for discussion. He is a former president and his ideas would not have been easily dismissed by the present leader. As one letter writer pointed out, the office of the Presidency in any part of the world transcends any one individual, and one must respect the office and be willing to go to extraordinary measures to make the office and country better.

Many have expressed that this consultation at the level of the incumbent and former presidents would have eased the level of political tension, and bridged the gap between the two opposing sides. It would have been a good image for the country, and informed not only citizens here, but investors and other international development partners that Guyanese leaders are willing to put partisan politics aside and work together for the national good.

Further, it was a good opportunity for Mr Granger to begin the process of transforming his image after blatant attempts by some party officials to alter the results of the March polls in his favour. In addition to being a weak and aloof leader, he has to date not condemned the actions of top party officials to derail the polls.

The President has promised that he would continue to extend an open door to Mr Granger in his capacity as a former president. It was announced that the engagement with former presidents will now be quarterly; it is still not too late for Mr Granger to reconsider his position. We hope that he would see the need to put country first, above his own political interests. One may want to believe that the majority of his supporters want him to act in a mature and responsible manner.
That said, this level of goodwill by President Ali should also be extended to the Opposition Leader and/or his representatives, to be engaged in political dialogue in a more structured and results-oriented manner.