Dear Editor,
Everywhere I travelled on the coast last week, interacting with the public at random, I heard primarily praises for the performance of Government and some Ministers (those who constantly mingle with the public). The President and his Government have an almost 100% rating for their performance so far over three months into the administration. The personality and style of President Irfaan Ali and his team are very different from that of their predecessors.
The Ministers are very active, and get things done. They are going around communities, being on the ground themselves to address public issues, with some earning sky-high ratings.
Some Ministers, like Anil Nandlall, Zulficar Mustapha, Collin Croal, Susan Rodrigues, Nigel Dharamlall, Vickram Bharrat and Vindy Persaud, among others, came in for special praise, especially for their activism and making their presence known in the public. People, a large majority, including growing numbers of supporters of the coalition, are thankful for the change in administration, and are expressing delight and gratitude that the country has been rid of the coalition.
The $25K household COVID grant has boosted the image of the Government, and people are asking why the coalition could not have helped them during the early period of the pandemic.
A large majority saw the previous coalition regime as a burden on the backs of the people. “Thank God they are gone”, is the response of many about the coalition when asked about the change in administration. Members of the former coalition, top tier leadership in particular, should go out and interact with the public to get a sense of how they are viewed among their own supporters. The response among many is not pleasant, and description of their performance is not flattering; horrendous, appalling, dreadful are among other negatives being used.
On the other hand, the description of the performance of the current Government, that of some Ministers in particular, who seem truly immersed into their job, is the complete opposite; praiseworthy, commendable, impressive are among other positives being used. Those I interacted with say that this new group of Ministers, the President and PM are very interactive and engaging with the public, while Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo is very interactive with the media.
Most of the current Ministers find time to interact with people. The Ministers are not stuck in air-conditioned offices; they are doers, they don’t just talk, they walk the talk. In contrast, the previous group of Ministers of the coalition and their assistants were viewed as “wanting only to sit in office on the throne. That is why they get shai out”, said some poll respondents.
Attorney General Anil Nandlall leads in performance as “the best Minister” of the Government, and there is no comparing him with his predecessor. Respondents in the current poll say it is like comparing the taste of lime with ripe sapodilla. Nandlall dazzles with his brilliance and erudition of law.
People like the idea of Ministers visiting their communities. Those I interacted with say Mustapha, Croal, Rodrigues, and Dharamlall are lauded for being very active on the ground. They seem to have a presence everywhere.
Agriculture Minister Mustapha seems to be loved by farmers. He has gone to almost every part of the country, trying to sort out agricultural issues. Farmers say he is the total opposite of Noel Holder, the coalition’s Minister of Agriculture. Mustapha is described as very engaging and hands on. Farmers say he listens to them, accepts their complaints, and acts. He champions the interests of farmers, unlike his predecessor.
Accolades are also given to Natural Resources Minister Vickram Bharrat, who is described as very calm, savvy, articulate, and reasoned. Vickram Bharrat has the support of the miners, who say he listens to them and that he is nice to people. He has a wonderful personality, and he has learned the job very fast. Miners express confidence in him, saying he is doing a great job.
Infrastructure issues are also being addressed promptly. Telecom is a serious problem, with people everywhere complaining of poor service, dropped phone calls, and WIFI signals. The good news is that complaints across all Ministries are being dealt with almost instantly, at times by Ministers themselves.
People express concerns about COVID, which is a serious and challenging issue. Adequate protective steps were not taken to deter spread of infections under the coalition; people unknowingly spread the virus. Not enough tests were done even though 1700 kits were donated to the Government in the first month of the pandemic. One could not get an accurate assessment of the presence of COVID among the public.
The secrecy of the operations of the Health Ministry led to the spread of the virus and the spike in the number of cases. Cases were first reported to the Minister, as opposed to the patient and attending doctor. The number of cases was underreported for political reasons. That has all changed with the change of administration in early August.
Dr. Frank Anthony has limited time to interact with the public on so many health issues, as he tries to control the spread of the virus that has been taking a growing toll on people. His performance is rated as very good. There is now more testing, unlike under the coalition, when few tests were conducted. Test kits were hidden and results concealed away from the public.
Overall, the President and his Ministers, the Vice President and Prime Minister have earned the respect and admiration of the public. They are worthy of commendation.
Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram
(Pollster)
