Political Scientist Samuel Huntington underscored the importance and the need for civilian control of the modern day military as he argued passionately that it should always remain “professional” and free from undue political interference and manipulation.
Huntington in his widely published and award winning book, “The Solider and the State”, explained the role that the State must play in order to ensure that the military functions competently, independently and within a clearly specified framework that sees it serving the wider interest of the general public as far as the protectionism of borders and international security is concerned.
To a lesser extent, he explores too the role between the military and other law enforcement agencies whenever the need arises for action to be taken domestically to ward off internal security threats to the State and its civilians.
In short, his advancement of the civilian control over the military theory sees the State and Military as two completely separate entities that turn to a country’s constitution for guidance on how, and to what extent they must relate, intermix and respect each other.
In Guyana, a significant portion of the country’s National Budget totalling billions of dollars have been spent in professionalising the Guyana Defence Force while beefing up the resources for it to pursue its core objectives independently.
Over the past two-and-a-half decades, focus has been placed on allowing the Guyana Defence Force the autonomy it needs to make core decisions about its future, organisational and operational mandates, and the extent to which it wants to become involved in civilian affairs.
This autonomy has been largely guided by the framework set out in the Constitution and the broad policy objectives adumbrated by the Commander-In-Chief of the Armed Forces who in Guyana’s case is its Executive President cum Head of State.
Throughout this period, there was de-politicisation of the GDF, which it is argued by many, had a long history of playing a key role in the execution of political orders that saw the rigging of consecutive democratic elections, suspension of key political freedoms from opponents and the harassment of a selected group of civilians under the instructions of former Prime Ministers, Presidents, Ministers and politicians associated with the successive ruling People’s National Congress administration.
This saw the GDF engaging in key humanitarian exercises to benefit civilians and staying exclusively out of affairs that should largely concern the democratically elected government and its advisors.
But since the new A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance for Change Government has taken office, there seems to be a fundamental shift in both the operational and domestic relations policy of the entity.
It would appear that the GDF, its veterans, retirees and a select group of personnel are now very intertwined and actively involved in the management, investigation and supervision of key activities, programmes and projects that concern civilians at the behest of the government.
Over the past months, both President David Granger and his trusted aide Joseph Harmon have presided over a slew of appointments of sitting and current GDF officers as CoI Heads, probe Commissioners, Advisors in core government departments and state department heads.
These personnel include Rt Brigadier Bruce Lovell (Head – Dataram probe), Rt Colonel Windee Algeron (Head – Drop-in Centre probe), Rt Major General Joe Singh (Head – Mining Pitt Collapse probe), Rear Admiral Gary Best (Climate Change Advisor), Colonel Nazrul Hussain (Head – National Events Planning Dpt), Lieutenant Colonel Sydney James (SOCU Head), and retired Brigadier Edward Collins (Security Advisor) to name a few on a list that continues to grow as the days go by.
From the decisions taken by Government to appoint former military personnel to key state boards and agencies to its apparent favour for persons with a paramilitary background, it appears that civilians are no longer being considered as either competence or qualities to lend assistance in the areas where these former and current military personnel are parachuted.
The now opposition People’s Progressive Party/Civic had warned in the lead-up to the 2015 elections that this would happen and has already sounded the alarm, following a series of strange events related to the operations of SOCU, the State Assets Recovery Unit, the Police and other agencies which they believe are pursuing political objectives.
President Granger, a former Brigadier himself, must reconsider his approach as it appears that there is strategic militarisation of the State and Government, and a calculated effort to reduce the influence of civilians in affairs related to governance.
He must take stock of the decision made and seek to chart a different course that would dispel suspicions that a police state is being created or something else sinister is afoot.
The GDF too must insist that its sitting ranks not become involved in the operations of the State or quasi-political overtures in a bid to protect its image and ward-off political manipulation from the Government.
