The main Opposition, the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC), last week announced that it is taking Parliament to the people. They held a session last Thursday at Stabroek Market Square that had all the formalities of a normal sitting. Kudos to them for finding creative means to get their voices heard when the formal system seeks to silence or miniaturise their voices.
The National Assembly of Guyana by its very structure should be the Parliament of the People. It is in this august body elected representatives of the people should be representing the views of their constituents and advocating for their interest. Where Guyana’s Parliament continues to be reduced to a mockery, numerical strength becomes right even if and when wrong, the representative nature of this august body is being undermined.
It continues to be a travesty that elected leaders are failing to do their work on behalf of the people and have diminishing respect for the fact that they were elected to be accountable to the people. It continues to be a serious disservice to the august House when the Speaker abuses his authority to deny and deprive others expression of concerns which would otherwise be facilitated in normal democracy.
It is also noteworthy that the Coalition said it will take the new parliament to the towns across the country, and hit the streets more. Residents will be looking forward to these session and community meetings. Consequently it is hoped this novel idea will not fall to the wayside or parliamentarians grow tired of field work. Political work is hard but rewarding if the leaders are prepared to roll their sleeves up and interact with the ordinary man and woman between elections. Citizens can never see enough of their leaders and always welcome their visit or opportunity to interact.
Citizens want to be able to contact their elected representatives and have them address their concerns. Guyanese are not unaware that the Opposition may not be able to extract from an uncaring government benefits for their supporters. What Guyanese do not want, particularly APNU+AFC supporters, is not to see their leaders working hard for them in holding the government to account and ensuring that they are not excluded.
The saying, it is better to try and fail than fail to try holds true for the Opposition. There is growing skepticism among coalition supporters that their leaders are not fighting hard enough and are allowing the Government to get away with what Guyanese call ‘murder.’ In addition to the coalition leaders being mindful of this perception about them they cannot ignore the need for a programme to make themselves relevant in 21st century Guyana.
Politics is evolving where the Opposition is not merely there to oppose for opposing sake, or wait to get elected to the Executive before working to deliver benefits to the people. A worthwhile Opposition is there to hold the government accountable. The Opposition should also be able to propose and stick to their proposals until achievement is secured.
The Government is making efforts to make the Main Opposition irrelevant. If the coalition leaders do not assert themselves the erosion of their relevance comes at great risk of undermining democracy. The over 250,000 votes the Guyana Elections Commission said the Coalition received must be used for its numerical strength and support to push for a better Guyana. Betterment should not only be for those supporting the APNU+AFC but those who have already grown disillusioned with the People’s Progressive Party/Civic that cannot change its ugly ways.
