Paper by PNCR at UG/Clarke University symposium on Executive Shared Governance

Posted July 5th. 2003 -

Ladies and gentlemen,

The People's National Congress Reform is pleased to have been invited to make a presentation at this conference on political conflict resolution. Who can doubt that as a country, we have suffered enormously because of our failure to resolve the continuous conflicts and crises in our political relations? The organisers must be congratulated for exercising initiative in bringing together such a wide-cross section of Guyanese and other stakeholders to discuss this fundamentally important topic. The PNCR welcomes, and will always welcome, such initiatives. We have never been shy about sharing our ideas with others at any forum in relation to Guyana's political and socio-economic development. Likewise, the party has always been willing to benefit from the thoughts of others who have the interest of Guyana at heart. We expect that the outputs of this conference will have a profound impact on the development of a new political architecture for Guyana, one that accommodates our specific social make-up; our political history; the desires of the Guyanese people; and the need for our nation to survive and prosper in a competitive and threatening global environment.

Indeed, the necessity for an alternative form of government in Guyana must now pass the stage of debate. National discussion must now focus on selecting the most appropriate form of government. The PNCR is highly encouraged that support for executive power sharing in Guyana has widened significantly in recent times among the Guyanese people.

In this short presentation, I think it important to address five issues:

(i) what motivates the PNCR to seek a new political arrangement for Guyana;

(ii) how the PNCR conceptualises Shared Governance;

(iii) why we consider it absolutely necessary for Guyana;

(iv) our proposals on what a Shared Governance constitution must contain.

(v) our proposals on the timeframe and mechanisms for discussions.

The motivations behind the PNCR's call for new political arrangements

The PNCR remains a powerful political party capable of winning any election. However, we are not interested merely in political office for its own sake, for personal benefits or positions of influence. The fundamental principle of our party's formation and existence is to ensure that Guyana as a Nation State rises to its fullest potential and the Guyanese people enjoy the best possible standard of living.

Guyana's political history has unambiguously shown that the present political arrangements do not allow anyone to achieve these aspirations. The winner-take-all system has stymied the best efforts of even the well-intentioned. It has created an environment where large sections of the population feel excluded and marginalized. It has created a situation pervaded by open conflicts and social tension, in which the socio-economic development of the country cannot be stimulated. The evidence of failure is everywhere: a poor and struggling economy, a threatened social fabric, the loss of national pride and dignity, the ethnic distrust, our inability to tap our vast natural resources, and our incapacity to fix our own problems. The PNCR is no longer prepared to invest the future of our country and the welfare of the Guyanese people in a failed political system. We believe that Guyana must seek a new political order. For us, Shared Governance is that new order!

The PNCR's conceptualization of Shared Governance

For the PNCR, Shared Governance means the involvement and contribution of all Guyanese in shaping national decisions, resolving and settling differences and improving national life.

At the centre of Shared Governance must stand executive power-sharing. The PNCR believes political parties should be represented in the highest decision-making forums of the country based on their electoral support. Importantly for us, however, Shared Governance must also include: (i) the creation of conditions to facilitate equity in the economic sphere, our national life and in the arm forces. Already, the PNCR has agreed, under the communiqué, to a commission of inquiry that will address all the issues surrounding functioning, operation and composition of the discipline forces including their ethnic composition. Similarly, no one should doubt our determination to pursue a similar course of action as regards the ethnic factors in the country's business life. The PNC/R will support the most sensible measures to achieve these aims, without taking away from any Guyanese what they have earned through hard work and sacrifice; (ii) the presence and involvement in the national decision-making structure not only parliamentary political parties but members of the public and civil society stakeholders; (iii) the empowerment of communities to participate in decisions that directly affect them, through a refashioned local government system; (iv) the involvement in national life of independent agencies and commissions, such as the Ethnic Relations Commission.

In addition, any form of governance for Guyana must be based on internationally recognized tenets of good governance. For the PNCR, executive Shared Governance must also adhere to the principles of transparency, accountability, rule of law, responsiveness, and responsibleness. Our judiciary must be truly independent and efficient. Our police force must be professional and be allowed to work professionally in the maintenance of law and order and in the pursuit of all perpetrators of crime. Guyana must have an independent anti-corruption commission with the same powers as our new constitution commissions. The anti-money laundering legislation must be given teeth. The Auditor General's office must be made robust. And Parliament must truly be a people's forum for discussion, consensus and compromise. All these ingredients are contained in our conceptualization of Shared Governance.

Why we consider it absolutely necessary for Guyana

Shared Governance is necessary for Guyana for several compelling reasons:

(i) The first reason was most effectively articulated by our late leader, Mr Desmond Hoyte, in March 30th address to the Nation. To paraphrase him: our political system must have cast iron guarantees, processes and arrangements that would ensure that the rights of the marginalized and the vulnerable are protected and that the economic, cultural and political space of all Guyanese citizens is protected by the rules and procedures of governance and political life.

Indeed, the PNCR stands committed to realize the objective of ensuring all citizens and groups feel represented and involved in national life. We will work to ensure that all citizens have fair and equitable access to resources and opportunities. Guyanese must no longer be denied their due rights and entitlements based on their race, religion, gender or political affiliation. Our new political system must harness and mobilise all of our human skills and talents for community, regional and national development.

(ii) The second reason has to do with the deep-seated social and economic problems that beset us as a nation and the need to solve them urgently. I refer to vast amounts of poor Guyanese being denied the basic necessities of a decent life; the many manifest signs of social decay; the high unemployment; the low-level of business activity; the escalation of crime; and the pervasive sense of hopelessness and loss of pride among Guyanese.

(iii) The third reason has to do with the growing external threats to the survival of our country. Guyana is a small and vulnerable nation. Our country faces claims to its territory from two tenacious neighbours. we find ourselves in the tightening grip of narco-trafficking, as drugs find their way among our youths; corrupts and undermines our highest state organs; and damages the reputation and interests of our country.

Only as a strong united people, led by a strong united government of stakeholders, could this nation stand its best chance to beat back the threats, overcome the challenges and blaze a path to development.

Proposals for Shared Governance Constitution

It is now public knowledge that the PNCR, in December 2002, put forward a comprehensive blueprint on the principles and mechanics of Shared Governance. The document lists twelve principles on which a shared governance constitution must be based and also describes the mechanisms and structures that would facilitate decision-making, public and civil society involvement and scrutiny, parliamentary oversight, and dispute resolution. Moreover, in putting together this document, the party took up the intellectual challenge of devising solutions to overcome the known criticisms and weaknesses of power-sharing political models.

My time only allows me to mention two examples on this last score. The first criticism points to the possibility of gridlock within the multi-party government. In addressing this, the PNCR looked at experiences in other countries and, it must be emphasized, at our Guyana's own track record on multi-party negotiations. We have identified the need for three levels of executive decision-making not only to prevent gridlock but also to facilitate coordination, negotiation and consultation among parties. These three levels are (i) small ministerial clusters or working groups, (ii) a national executive council of ministers, as the new cabinet, and (iii) at the apex of this system, a committee of party leaders.

All policy issues and initiatives are first processed within the ministerial working groups. We anticipate that as a small group working in an informal atmosphere (similar to our recent experience with dialogue teams), agreements and compromises would be facilitated. Our experience has been that once it is mandatory for the parties to find a common position, our parties show a greater willingness to give and take. However, should no agreement be achieved at this level, the parties can send the issue for resolution to either the full cabinet, or more preferably, to the summit of party leaders. In addition, the PNCR proposal allows for voting along party lines in the parliament to allow the majority party to proceed with certain decisions. We have also included a non-executive president who will stand above the political fray and play a role in dispute resolution.

The second criticism focuses the death of opposition politics in Guyana and the likely evils this will invoke. Cynics could pointedly ask, what is the state of opposition politics in Guyana and what has it brought us. If we take the benefits of opposition politics to include the articulation and competition of differing views; the exposure of government misbehaivour; and the presence of checks and balances to government actions, then opposition politics would remain under our model of Shared Governance. Shared Governance does not translate into the merging of all parties into one conglomerate. It translates into a strong multi-party governing system, in which the competition among the ideas, policies and positions of the parties is managed in a manner that ensures agreement and enrichment.

Nonetheless, the PNCR fully understands that, in spite of all the creative structures and mechanisms, much will still depend on the mindset and maturity of our political parties. Our party is optimistic that with the guaranteed assurances of participation in national decision-making that Shared Governance gives to parties, their behaivour would be tempered and refined. Parties would no longer have the fear that the present high-staked win-everything-lose-everything politics instills. They will feel freer to give and take, exercise options and to put national interest above partisan interests.

Some have suggested that the current constitution and parliamentary reforms are enough for Guyana's political salvation. The PNCR considers these reforms as necessary but far from sufficient. We have already witnessed how limited they are. The single-party government continues to make unilateral decisions, with little or no regard for the views and concerns of other Guyanese. The constitutional tools available to other stakeholders to force compromise and concessions are feeble. The manner in which the procurement bill was drafted and enacted emphatically suggest to all concerned that much more must be done to ensure, to quote Mr Hoyte's words again, "…that the economic, cultural and political space of all Guyanese citizens is protected by the rules and procedures of governance and political life."

Yes, the current reforms are necessary. And they must be implemented as agreed. However, the Nation needs more profound remedies and cannot wait, as some are advising, on the gestation of these inadequate solutions.

This brings me now to timeframes and mechanisms of negotiations for Shared Governance.

Timeframe and mechanisms for negotiations.

Time is not on the side of Guyana. We must not wait for the damage and destruction to be irreversibly entrenched. We must not wait for the hopelessness and loss of national self-belief to set in to the extent that we can no longer rekindle the desire of our proud people to build a better nation.

Therefore, the PNCR would work to get a Shared Governance constitution in place for the next election. In fact, the party will have to give serious consideration to whether or not it should participate in any future elections under the winner-take-all system. The party will work with all urgency to get the new parliamentary committee on constitution reform up and running. We believe that this committee provides the best forum to facilitate national discussion and participation on this fundamental issue. No doubt, agreement between the major political parties on Shared Governance is essential for any movement forward. The communiqué, if honoured in spirit and letter, could serve as an important first step towards building the kind of political arrangements we have in mind.

In the course of things, the PNCR envisages and will ensure that the issue of Shared Governance must become a major issue on the agenda of the Constructive Engagement. In this regard we note the PPP/C's earlier suggestion to have inclusivity on the agenda.

In all this, we must not forget the need for a campaign of public education. The PNCR is committed to any such campaign.

Conclusion; PNCR's Vision for Guyana

The PNCR does not see Shared Governance as an end in itself. We see it as providing a facilitative platform on which Guyana can build the kind of society and economy we can be proud of, and from which all can benefit..

We expect the Shared Governance road to be bumpy and full of obstacles. But it is the only road for our nation to travel. The walk will be hard, but working together we can apply our full energies and talents and achieve more than we can achieve individually. Lets banish the "we and dem" in Guyana politics. Let's create the environment for real reconciliation of the various groups in society. Let there be richness in our diversity and strength in our unity. Let's band together as one people of one Nation with one common destiny.