Changes in our Parliament over the years

Dear Editor,
During the very difficult economic times in our country, many citizens, if not all, struggled with the cost of food, lack of electricity, and scarcity of drinking water in their homes. The President was referred to as “Fat Boy” and was reported to have Swiss bank accounts and to be one of the richest leaders in the world.
During his tenure, Parliament was filled with highly respected and highly educated citizens until it was reported that someone who sold goods in the market was sworn into that “Honourable” House.
At the time, it was quite the scandal, and the view of Parliament was diminished in the eyes of many middle- and upper-class citizens. However, the expectations at the time were already low, and many people were leaving the country for better living conditions. Today, while our country is prospering from the oil and gas sector, the cost of living continues to be high, electricity outages persist, and safe drinking water does not flow through everyone’s home. Parliament has sworn in someone listed for extradition, and once again a tremendous scandal looms.
As unsavoury as it appears, the new member’s future should remain an issue for the courts to determine. Some say Parliament has now shifted from a house to a den, and one which is of very dubious quality and standing. However, after listening to the concerns that the new member raised after becoming an official member of the House, one must admit that he has good intentions that will help the regions that supported his bid for office.
It was concerning to hear that children’s lives are once again in danger due to the poor maintenance of their schools. Queen’s College, where our brightest are taught, did also have a major structural issue in the recent past. The poor planning and inadequate setting of priorities on display do raise many additional concerns.
The education budgets have been substantial over the years, with many new schools being built. It does show that as a nation we must focus initially on the upkeep and maintenance of what we currently have and wish to keep before spending precious, hard-to-come-by funds on new endeavours.
Having members who are not of the traditional background demanded by the rigour of public office, especially at this level, may raise eyebrows for some, but it is also very valuable to have the perspective of those who are close to the electorate and very familiar with their current needs. This may be accomplished by other means that are insufficient today, so adjustments will need to be made for effective governance to be achieved.
“Fat Boy” may not have been well-liked in his latter days, and his methods did leave a lot to be desired, but our Guyana will continue to benefit from the involvement of all levels of the socioeconomic class in our decision-making process now and far into the future. Given that the honour of our Honourable House is once again in question, we must as a nation decide what “Honourable” means to us. For now, the term “National Assembly” appears to be more fitting for our members of Parliament unless the term “Honourable member” is preferred. As things unfold, it will become clearer if it is time for a good house cleaning.

Best regards,
Jamil Changlee