…corruption
Your Eyewitness’s trusty dictionary says that corruption is “dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery.” So, it seems that when we’re talking about corruption, we’re only concerned about “those in power”?!! What the heck is this?? Ordinary folks can’t be corrupt?? So, those who OFFER bribes to “those in power” ain’t corrupt?? It takes two to tango, but not to be corrupt??
The AG was reported to’ve gotten all hot and sweaty because of US Department of State’s International Narcotics Control Strategy Report (INCSR) 2025 – released in March. He railed about its implications that local public officials were connected to claims of corruption – without detailing specific cases that led to the report’s conclusion. He referred to this as “more speculative and sensational reportage!!” He animatedly went on to describe steps his government had taken in excruciating detail – after the Yanks had fingered one big one over here who’d used a government official who was also fingered.
Some of these steps were: “i) criminalising drug-money laundering, ii) implementing know-your-customer provisions, iii) reporting suspicious transactions, iv) maintaining records over time, v) implementing cross-border transportation of currency, vi) implementing beneficial ownership data collection & retention provisions, vii) compliance with international law cooperations, viii) implementing systems for identifying/forfeiting assets, ix) implementing arrangements for asset sharing, x) becoming a party to information exchange agreements with non-US governments, xi) becoming a party to the 1988 UN Drug Convention, and xii) becoming a party to UNTOC [UN Convention against Transnational Organized Crime] and UNCAC [UN Convention against Corruption].” Whew!!
But your Eyewitness thinks the AG is barking up the wrong tree in responding to the corruption accusations from the US. He believes that – as in the case with democracy and other American values we try to follow – the best route for us is to try to imitate their best practices!! And how do the Yanks deal with preventing their public officials from being bribed to perform their official functions?
Well…DUH!! They invented the institution of LOBBYING!!
Here, if you want the government to do something that’s gonna benefit you or your company, you offer the government official money via some individuals who do this for a living by simply calling it “lobbying”!! Now, you may say the money goes to the lobbyists, and not to the officials!! But let’s pick sense from nonsense, shall we?? Why would the official listen to the lobbyist, unless he’s getting some lettuce??
Folks also can offer “campaign contributions” directly to elected government officials – but that has limits. And we already know about “lobbying” since, before the last elections, we’d hired a lobbying firm named “Mercury” to push our democratic agenda. And presently, another one.
Local lobbyists, anyone??!!
…the youth vote
Your Eyewitness has been listening forever to prognostications (like that, eh??) of changes in voting behaviour in our ole Mudland – because of the increasing proportion of youths in our voting population. The theory is that youths wouldn’t be as “contaminated” with our ethnic prejudices as their older forbears – who would’ve experienced (or be regaled first hand) about the “Disturbances of the 1960s”.
We’re told that these youths now number 65%, and as such, the politicians should be targeting them specifically.
Now, there’s nothing wrong with this advice – but your Eyewitness believes the premises are flawed. We shouldn’t forget that the recent “troubles” between 1998 and 2008 produced at least twice the number of casualties than the 1960s – 432 versus 176. And they were also mostly ethnically directed.
So, what to do?? Well, just do what the PPP’s doing – target the youths from across the divide and show them they can also make it big in Guyana!! The steady drip of water can change mountains into sand!!
