SHOWING THE 'GOODWILL'
Guyana Chronicle
December 21, 2003
IN THE remaining few days for shopping and general preparations for Christmas, peoples at all levels of our society should find time to reflect on the need for social harmony and genuine cooperation to help move Guyana forward.
Christmas is regarded as the 'season of goodwill'. But let us strive to go beyond sentimental expressions and make positive gestures to help lift this country from the divisions, the outpourings of negative, destructive criticisms that have become the political trade mark for some.
We must hope that if they do not meet before Christmas, President Bharrat Jagdeo and Opposition Leader Robert Corbin would do so before the dawn of the New Year, to renew their efforts, this time with greater commitment, to more meaningfully make a success of the dialogue process in the national interest.
There needs to be less complaints, criticisms and finger-pointing and more cooperation; less talk and more action - on all parties.
We must demonstrate in practical ways our appreciation for the sentiment as expressed years ago by our great poet laureate, Martin Carter, that indeed, "we are all involved".
On the credit side, the disclosure last week of Guyana's remarkable success in securing debt relief approximating some G$65 billion, or US$25 million in additional annual debt write-off over a 20-year period, has understandably been hailed by President Bharrat Jagdeo as the best Christmas gift for the nation as a whole.
The President, who has been at the forefront, since as Minister of Finance, in negotiations for removal of the terrible debt burden and virtual state of economic bankruptcy inherited when the PPP/C administration came to office in 1992, deserves to share much of the credit for the debt relief as announced under the enhanced Heavily Indebted Poor Countries (HIPC) Initiative.
Crime Challenge
This in no way minimises the contributions of Finance Minister Saisnarine Kowlessar and the team of technocrats of the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the President who would have been involved, in varying ways, to secure the debt relief that has come as a most welcome development to help meet the pressing social and economic demands.
On the debit side, the bad news continues to be the killings and armed robberies afflicting villages and communities that require more innovative responses by the security forces to generate confidence among the people in their crime fighting capacity.
Although not of the scale of the criminal rampage of 2002 and the early part of this year, the crime scene remains the most challenging social problem to be faced by the government and the security forces.
But it is a challenge that, of necessity, has to be responded to by the opposition parties and civil society organisations as well.
The killings, criminal violence and armed robberies in CARICOM states like Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago in particular, have resulted in greater involvement of civil society groups in helping to deal with the problems. It is most encouraging to know that there is civil society involvement also in Guyana and they deserve to be commended.
However, much more is required on all sides - security forces, political parties, civil society and community policing groups - to beat back the criminals to make Guyana safe for all its citizens and visitors to its shores. The country, after all, has had more than its fair share of ethnic strife, social disharmony, political disunity and criminal rampage.
In the circumstances, when we wish the people of Guyana a "Merry Christmas", it is with the fervent hope that we will experience a more safe, secure and prosperous environment in the coming year.