…President recommits inclusionary democracy if reelected
…holds out hope that PPP will join discussions
SHOULD his party win the 2020 General and Regional Elections, President David Granger said that he will, once again, invite the main opposition, the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), to the discussion table on shared democracy.
In an interview on NCN’s Context on Monday, the President said that it is his strong view that there must be an end to the winner-takes-all formula that has affected the past governance of Guyana.
He noted that persons have expressed the concern that shared democracy has been the conversation over the years but no transformative changes have taken place. This, he opined, is as a result of some who still hold on to the age-old winner-takes-all formula. He said that his party is willing to change this and hopes that in such a case, the PPP/C will participate in these discussions.
“Organisationally, I would expect that there would be greater collaboration with the People’s Progressive Party which represents a substantial part of our electorate and our population and I would invite them again. People hardly recall that I did invite the PPP into talks but there were some difficulties because of the persons I nominated,” President Granger said.
He added: “At the start of my tenure I did invite the People’s Progressive Party to discuss a form of shared governance and were I to be re-elected after the declaration of the Elections Commission, I will do the same again. I believe in inclusionary democracy and the PPP is part of the future of Guyana.”
He said that the APNU+AFC represents an abandonment of the ideology of the winner-takes-all formula as, for the first time in Guyana’s history in 2015, a six-party coalition was elected by the people who envisioned a unified way forward under its leadership.
“It’s not a novelty. It’s certainly the first time it has happened in Guyana but it can happen. I don’t think anybody 30 years ago would have imagined the WPA and the PNC sitting down around the same Cabinet table, but here we are, with the AFC and six parties. Every member of the coalition is represented in the National Assembly. We don’t see eye-to-eye on every matter but we resolve our differences and difficulties in a consensual way,” he said, adding: “What the APNU+AFC has achieved over the last five years, all parties in this country can achieve over the next five.”
The President believes that if it is that its leaders truly want the common good, which is a better life for all Guyanese, a similar wave should take over the future governance of Guyana.
Questioned on his thoughts on inclusionary governance on May 20, 2020, PPP/C Presidential Candidate, Irfaan Ali, said that he sees this as other parties and stakeholders being a part of the decision-making process.
He said that inclusionary governance should not be limited to the Parliamentary level but should branch out to include competent people outside the political arena who can contribute in their areas of expertise.
“We have seen reforms in the Parliamentary system; we have seen how useful the Public Accounts Committee can be which is shared by the Opposition [and] the Economic Services Committee. With different sectors coming on stream, you have to find a model that allows that oversight responsibility to even go beyond the political system to bring in other stakeholders from civil society,” he said.
Ali added: “At the Executive level we will allow ideas, we will allow participation, not only political parties but by civil society, by the private sector, by as many stakeholders as possible.”
When asked why then did the PPP/C refuse to participate on several Committees or to appoint the necessary representatives on State boards during the last five years, Ali said that there were a number of issues.
He said that his party is interested in the development of agendas designed by leaders from across the country which represent the will of not some, but all the people.
Meanwhile, President David Granger believes that there is need for greater education on the value that can be had from a shared democracy.
“To escape from this winner-takes-all system we need to adapt inclusionary democracy which our Constitution calls for and we need to instruct our supporters, teach, educate our supporters to support this formula that we’re talking about,” he said.
The Head of State said that he has had the unfortunate experience during his tenure whereby Regional Chairmen from Opposition strongholds in Regions 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 9 would intentionally stay away from Central Government meetings with the Ministry of Communities which only hampered development in those Regions.
The President said that no one denies that the PPP/C had won these areas or that it has strength in these areas, but a country cannot be properly run when there is such division among leaders who ought to be working in the best interest of the people
He stated: “It is damaging not to have national unity. It is damaging not to have a form of government which all parties can share in.”
Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_27_05_2020