With
the recent Cabinet shake-up that saw the reshuffling of several Ministers, the word “betrayed” probably best defines how Dr George Norton must have felt after being demoted from Public Health Minister to Junior Social Cohesion Minister, under the Minister of State. His disappointment became palpable when, in his own words, Norton explained to an online newscast that he was unaware of what he was going to do since he knew nothing about the Social Cohesion Ministry, which was new to everyone including himself.
This is a man who spent his life dedicated to the medical field, while pursuing his political career as a senior member and one of the few indigenous representatives of the PNC. But his short-lived mandate as the Public Health Minister was tarnished by the massive drug penury which hit Guyana in 2015, as well as the Sussex Street bond scandal, which suggested that Norton was a mere scapegoat in an act of cronyism now so characteristic of the Coalition regime.
At the same time, Minister Volda Lawrence was moved from the Social Protection Ministry to Norton’s former position, a decision which leaves more than one perplex. In her tenure as Social Protection Minister, Lawrence drew criticism from civil actors for refusing to adequately address the issue of rape and incest. The Minister had even suggested that rape should to be dealt with as a family matter instead of as a legal violation of the human rights of women. A recent press release from the subject Ministry went so far as to term rape as an act of “deflowering”, subsequently diminishing the gravity of the offence itself.
The question is, how can a Minister who failed to reassure rape victims of the Government’s commitment to guaranteeing and protecting their rights, be trusted to deliver the necessary medical attention to them? Besides being a stalwart of the PNC, Minister Lawrence is neither a medical expert nor understands the depth of the plight of Guyanese women exposed to sexual abuse. The leniency of her approach in addressing the scourge of rampant sexual abuse in Guyana is not only unbefitting of a senior member of Government, but increases the vulnerability of potential victims. Is the PNC-led Coalition thus limited within its pool of competent and experienced professionals, that there are no other suitable candidates to head these Ministries?
Additionally, the disregard for the civil rights of Opposition members and supporters, professed by Minister Lawrence two weeks ago when she led a counter protest against the peaceful candle-light vigil held at the CJRC, also questions her aptitude and willingness to use her offices impartially for the benefit of Guyanese across political creed. Too many PNC political appointees have been allowed since May 11 2015, to get away with political discrimination and abuse of power in positions requiring the non-partisan distribution of State and Government services. Regional Executive Carl Parker is one such individual who, until now, remains immune by the grace of President Granger and Communities Minister Ronald Bulkan, despite 1200 Amerindian petitioners requesting his removal almost a year ago.
Besides Minister Lawrence’s dubious ability in executing the mandate of her office impartially, the issue of her lack of medical expertise and understanding of the specificities of the health sector might pose a problem in managing the health sector. For instance, deficient primary healthcare has been a recurrent issue for years now, particularly in the hinterland where medical facilities are underequipped, understaffed and deprived of basic medical supplies to meet the needs of residents. The overcrowding suffered by both patients and staff at regional hospitals is a direct consequence of the lack of resources and negligence where applicable by the Government of Guyana. How Minister Lawrence intends to address this dilemma without knowledge of regional specificities and medical expertise remains a mystery.
Reshuffling Lawrence and Norton might not be a forthcoming strategic move, and Norton knows this insofar as he’s already acknowledged his own incompetence in undertaking his new mission. Interestingly, the humiliation he suffered is comparable to the treatment doled out to the youth who vigorously supported the PNC during the 2015 presidential campaign, but received little reward from the party after it went on to claim victory.
It is also no different from the attitude of the Coalition towards the Guyanese people, in particular the swing-vote electorate that anticipated a much promised positive change which never dawned on the country.
Instead, mediocrity in governance has become the new standard of performance in Guyana.
