Editorial
Guyana Chronicle
March 25, 2001

BHARRAT JAGDEO, the 36-year-old economist and former Finance Minister in two consecutive PPP/Civic administrations, is expected to be officially installed later this week, possibly tomorrow afternoon, as Executive President of Guyana in his own right, based on the freely expressed will of the electorate, for a five-year term.

This now depends on a ruling by Chief Justice Desiree Bernard who resumes hearing of a PNC/Reform injunction tomorrow morning.

While he has served well as head of state and government for the past 20 months, following the decision of Mrs Janet Jagan to give up the Presidency due to health reasons, Mr Jagdeo was without the endorsement that really matters -- that of the Guyanese voters.

Granted it was about two per cent less than when Janet Jagan was the presidential candidate in 1997, the endorsement was quite clear with the certified results of last Monday's elections as disclosed by the Chief Elections Officer:

The PPP/Civic polled 209,031 or 53 per cent of the valid votes cast and secured 35 of the

5 parliamentary seats, to its traditional rival, the People's National Congress Reform (PNC/R's) 27 seats obtained with 164,074 votes or about 42 per cent.

In extending best wishes to Jagdeo and the incumbent PPP/Civic, we welcome his assurance to take a lead role, once installed as head of a new government, in the process of healing.

This is so greatly and urgently needed at a time when some would like to extend the anger and bitterness of the just-concluded elections into a new period of governance.

We also note the marginal gains of the PNC/Reform that serve to underscore the point why the two dominant parties of our sadly polarised nation need to engage in systematic constructive dialogue to help move Guyana forward instead of tearing it apart.

In this context, it is most regrettable that instead of the verbal semantics that followed the release of a statement by the Carter Center about an agreement by President Jagdeo and PNC/Reform leader, Mr Desmond Hoyte, there is yet to be some gesture of goodwill coming also from the PNC/Reform.

Jagdeo has repeatedly assured that seeking a meeting with Hoyte would be among his top priorities. Of course, presentation of a new national budget is clearly one of those priorities, not to mention, first and foremost, formation of his new Cabinet.

Inclusivity must be a guiding factor for the PPP/Civic's new administration. And while it is simplistic to think that a President, in the context of party politics and the social and political realities of Guyana, can take strong positions that run counter to that of his party, the circumstances of the country also demand a new and creative approach to governance.

There does not have to be power-sharing in the classical sense, or even a national government, appealing as this may be, in order to stimulate a climate of confidence. But an inclusive approach to governance cannot be ignored..

The old ways of governance and the old politics should not be continued. Nevertheless, it does take two to tango, and clearly the opposition parties in parliament and the PNC/Reform in particular will be required to demonstrate their own preparedness to cooperate with the government in helping to forge that spirit of 'togetherness' on which President Jagdeo has been focusing.

This cowardly behaviour

THOUGH it followed a pattern of the December 1997 elections, the political disturbances and violence, including beating of women supporters of the governing PPP/Civic while the results of the March 19 elections were being awaited and subsequently declared, remain a shocking and sickening feature of bankrupt and cowardly politics.

It is not necessary to single out any political party for specific blame. Such has been the outrageous behaviour by some and silence by others that Guyanese, across ethnic and political lines, would know enough to pass their own judgement.

However, one incident that must be very upsetting to Guyanese across the political divide and which points to political cowardice and lack of tolerance for dissent, was the totally unprovoked and unwarranted physical attack on Mr Haslyn Parris, a known leading adviser to the PNC/Reform and one of its three representatives on GECOM.

His "sin" for those who shamelessly attacked him was simply to have exercised his right to state what all other members of the Commission, including its independent chairman have endorsed: That is, that the conduct of the elections was transparent and that "there is nothing to suggest that the results announced are not an accurate account of the votes cast..." "The process", said Parris, "was transparent and clean".

This apparently was too much for the 'Congress Place' crowd that attacked him. A clear, unequivocal d enunciation of this incident ought to be made by the PNC/Reform.

There is no doubt that the international, regional and local observers who monitored the conduct of the elections are continuing their vigilance of post-elections developments.

It is also to be hoped that more than probing the incidents of violence and lawlessness the Police will be instituting charges, including against those who have been spending the past few days in slandering people, stirring hate and incitement to violence under the cover of TV "talk shows".