Hypocrisy in Politics

Dear Editor,
Many social scientists often wonder why people lose faith in politics and politicians. In many parts of the world, politicians are seen as persons lacking in morality and wanting in trustworthiness.
Very often those perceptions are really misplaced, and are not true. However, the behaviour of some politicians gives credence to this view.
The behaviour alluded to was in full display at Guyana’s 51st Independence anniversary celebrations. The President of our country and many of his ministers who made public appearances spoke about Guyana being a ‘free state’ and a “cohesive state’. Hearing those words, one wondered if those speakers were intoxicated or were just deliberately attempting to deceive people.
In the two years since this regime has taken power, a massive cleansing of the public service has been done. Almost all the workers sent home are Indo-Guyanese. On the other hand, almost all employed by this regime — to bloat the bureaucracy — were non Indo-Guyanese. Therefore, how can you speak of cohesion?
It was announced that sixty-nine (69) persons were given national awards. Only fourteen (14) were of Indian Guyanese descent, and two of the fourteen were of mixed descendants.
Again, how can we talk about ‘national cohesion’?
How can we mention national cohesion when many Indian Guyanese who were awarded low income house lots and low income homes (turn-key homes) had them repossessed by the APNU regime?
Indeed, this regime has come up with new methods of dismissing persons they don’t like. Almost all those sent off on administrative leave are Indian Guyanese. None were re-employed. Indeed, no investigations are going on in many cases. So those persons are really fired.
How is this promoting ‘social cohesion’?
We see the onslaught launched against the Opposition, using SOCU and now SARA. Many are being arrested on trumped-up charges or for frivolous things. Take, for instance, the charging of several members of the Guyana Rice Development Board (who are all PPP/C members), not because of missing funds, but because some junior clerk did not enter a transaction. These people have been put on 0,000 bail, and had to lodge their passports. How can this be promoting ‘social cohesion’?
Look at the appointments in the Judiciary. Not a single Indo-Guyanese judge was appointed to the Court of Appeal. As those now serving on the bench reach retirement age, we will find even fewer, because the record of this regime suggests that very few Indo-Guyanese judges would be appointed.
How can we speak of ‘social cohesion’ when Opposition Members of Parliament’s motions are decimated by the Speaker, who is an unelected member of that body?
It is clear that he sees one of his functions as being to disrupt the Opposition Members when they are speaking, and to curtail their speeches. The Parliament has lost the status of being a body for debates and deliberations; those are not being allowed. This cannot be good for social cohesion.
Clearly, therefore, people have grounds to describe some politicians as being hypocrites; and even of being dishonest. The only sad thing is that this charge is being generalized, and all politicians are being daubed with the same brush.

Donald Ramotar
Former President
of Guyana