Ralph Ramkarran
Things to do on a Honeymoon
Posted on July 18, 2015 – by Ralph Ramkarran – Conversation Tree Blog
It is only fair that the traditional honeymoon period of three months of the new APNU+AFC administration be exhausted before its performance is assessed. The Government has a plan against which a judgment will be made. It is called the hundred-day programme. Little is heard of it nowadays but we, the people, who are intended to be its beneficiaries, are looking forward anxiously to its fulfillment.
The public is not familiar with the inner workings of Governments and we acknowledge that urgent events are demanding attention. Last week it was the heavy rains and flooding which required top priority – a 4 am Cabinet meeting. It is not known if all Ministers were able to make it.
During the time of the previous government, attendance would not have posed a problem. Much of the Cabinet would have been making their way home at that time. All that would have been required was a diversion to State House, which is just a drink away from Palm Court.
The week before, it was the rice situation. It was mistakenly believed that the Venezuelans had unilaterally, suddenly and without notice, cancelled the contract. This information was not correct but the Government was justified in its conclusion, even from the flimsiest evidence. After all, the Venezuelans, on flimsier evidence, have unilaterally, suddenly and without notice claimed Guyana’s entire Atlantic front, having already claimed Essequibo. That’s what Venezuelan Governments do and how they act. Therefore, the Government was justified in its suspicion. The Government accused the PPP of colluding with the Venezuelans by knowing of and concealing their dastardly, but non-existent, design. What else could be expected of the PPP?
Dominating the honeymoon news has been the sending of officials on leave and recovering of State assets. The President’s son, Alexei Ramotar and Leslie Cadogan, Permanent Secretary, have been the latest victims. There is also the troubling question of that company, without authorization, took gasoline ($200,000 worth?) from Guyoil but had surreptitiously changed its address to avoid payment. There is so much information of Government chasing after the PPP that there is no room left for real news, such as progress on the hundred-day programme. Presumably, there is no end to PPP wickedness.
The de facto Opposition (not yet official) is ignoring the honeymoon. Its major focus, believe it or not, is Government’s alleged unlawful spending activities? It accused Government officials of attending the recent APNU+AFC New York celebrations at Government expense. But the de facto Opposition might have expended its energy more productively on mourning the loss of support of its hitherto loyal Consul General, Brentnol Evans, who up to the day before the elections was a strong supporter of the PPP. Seeing the light at last after two decades plus of darkness, he attended the New York APNU+AFC rally in full regalia – from hat to shoes, including jacket, shirt, trousers and tie, in material of loud yellow and green, and was on stage! Word is that he has stored away his kurta. It is not true that in the past he had and wore a dhoti.
Then President Granger was sourly accused of using State funds to celebrate his birthday. Even if it were true, give the President a break! At least we have a President who does not scowl and abuse his opponents. And we are only now becoming accustomed again, since 2011 and First Lady Deolatchmie, to having a First Lady after years of drought during part of the Jagdeo Presidency when the delightful First Lady Varshnie announced, to much popular support, that she couldn’t stand her ‘husband’ anymore. And what a great birthday photograph of President David and First Lady Sandra! Maintaining the sourness, with tongue in cheek, the following day the de facto Opposition accused the Government of causing the flood, a phenomenon caused by heavy rains, an Act of God, combined with past neglect.
The important issue for the Government during its honeymoon is the hundred-day programme. It must be restored to the forefront by placing it on the agenda of every Cabinet meeting. I recently wrote about the Cummingsburg Accord. What I said attracted public comment, including one by the Minister Harmon accusing ‘opponents’ of the Government (presumably me and other contributors to the discussion) of trying to sow discord. During the height of the alleged discord, Prime Minister Nagamootoo applied a healing balm. He revealed that at one Cabinet Meeting the President chaired part and he chaired another part. He said nothing about his management of domestic affairs.
I would therefore recommend that the Prime Minister be placed in charge of managing the fulfillment of the hundred-day programme and that the Prime Minister chairs that portion of Cabinet meetings. Therefore, at one and the same time he would be chairing at least part of the Cabinet meetings and be responsible for at least part of the domestic agenda. The Prime Minister would then be able to deny that the AFC had (fully) capitulated on the Cummingsburg Accord and claim that it is being implemented with the adjustments necessary to make it workable in circumstances of holding office. Who knows, the supporters of the AFC might be convinced, while the PNCR would smile knowingly.
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Comments
Granger’s wife is a white woman. No wonder the west picked him to be their uncle tom. White preference runs through his veins. Hmmm…I better shut up from now on and make nice. Maybe they’ll forgive me my rants and make me a somebody someday somewhere. That’s the American dream and American exceptionalism mindset. If I may borrow a quote from James Baldwin (which, btw, I used to have on my van to justify my criticisms of America), “I love America more than any other country in the world and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually.” We good now America?
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In response to the article:
There is never really a honeymoon in modern marriages because, for the most part, both parties are well acquainted with each other and have simply made the decision to make the acquaintance permanent. The honeymoon period is essentially the two parties attempting to amicably assert their status in the next level of the relationship. The APNU/AFC bondage is not a marriage, but the fulfillment of a bizarre sadomasochistic fetish. It ends when one party gets severely hurt. Guyanese who find this horrendous act being aired for public display loathsome are within their right to criticize and condemn such actions.
What utter nonsense. How many St. Joseph’s High School girls went to school with Sandra Chan-A-Sue. This only points out how dangerous it is to take Gigi at face value. She invents stuff out of the blue and also lies outright. We have to resist the temptation to sink to her level; She should be the last person to talk about preference for white with all the nonsense she has spoken about Aryans and how much of a Southerner her father is.
Lol thinker, are you hallucinating ? What has St. Joseph High School girls got to do with Granger marrying a non-black? So his wife is Asian and not white…oops – she looks white to me. My father is a southerner? Where did you get that? My father was a Guyanese born to white Portuguese immigrants, which I have stated on this site, and who met my mother (Indian and white) when he rescued her from being attacked by a group of blacks during Guyana’s many racial strife. Why should I be the last person to talk about preference for whites? A white man saved my mother. And my husband is white. Doesn’t that qualify me for having a preference for whites? I have criticized blacks, whites and Asians so where’s the bias? I seriously don’t get your schizoid ranting. Perhaps when you are in a lesser state of delusion you will enlighten. Have a nice day… Now I am going to have to troll you, too, but it’ll be fun!
Sandra was Head girl at St. Joseph’s. Mea culpa – you mentioned your father as being white. Most Guyanese would have said Portuguese so you can understand my confusion. I don’t keep track but you did mention something about living in the South. But don’t say more. I’m beginning to think I know your family.
My identity is no secret. Gigi is my nickname given to me by my family and is my preferred name. I’m not hiding behind a handle.