ON Tuesday evening, I was honoured to attend the BBC World Questions Series Guyana Forum. It was good to witness firsthand the type of preparation that goes into these kinds of international productions. It was even better to see so many young people, from diverse backgrounds, who have a vested interest in Guyana’s socioeconomic and political direction at this critical time in our history.
It was good to be in the audience and hear responses from government, opposition, private sector and civil society organisations to the issues which were burning in the public’s mind. I was not surprised at the answers given by the Senior Minister within the Office of the President with Responsibility for Finance, Dr Ashni Singh, who outshone fellow members of the panel.
Dr Singh proved that he is cognisant of the public’s concerns and issues, very down to earth and knowledgeable of the opposition’s narratives that could confuse one’s mind. He sought at every opportunity to set the record straight from a government standpoint, and this was not more evident than in the Cuba and cost-of-living discussions. The finance minister set the bar so high for reading the room and delivering superb replies without showing his emotions every time.
He was followed by the private sector representative, businessman Clinton Urling, who delivered sound responses that offered just enough food for thought, while remaining neutral. He spoke the truth about growth in Guyana, the cost of living, the situation in Cuba and dispelled the narrative that the government was not doing enough for its people.
I was surprised at the level of intellect that he contributed to the discourse, unlike the other representative, Ayodele Dalgetty-Dean, who sometimes was annoying to listen to because the things she was discussing appeared ‘rehearsed’ or ‘textbook’ oriented. They did not seem grounded or real in the context of the discussion, which centred on the equal distribution of our oil wealth. A well-respected woman, whom I did not know existed before the event, but she did not offer much to the discussion. I felt the conversation would have been more spirited with another representative.
WIN’s Member of Parliament, Tabitha Sarabo-Halley, answered the questions as much as she could. She appeared to be particularly struggling with understanding the foreign policy and general economic policy questions as posed. Halley did not understand the national depth of the questions and she sought refuge in her campaign-like narrative being peddled by a few audience members.
The answers from Sarabo-Halley lacked knowledge and intellectual steam after all, she was speaking to experts, academics, scholars, other politicians, leaders, journalists and young people. These were not people who could be considered ‘scrapes’ or ‘opportunists.’ These were not the normal ‘WIN’ supporters who have been fed a certain negative narrative about the PNC or PPP.
And so, it was harder for her to convince them of the WIN narrative that the government was not managing the oil resources and was not trying to distribute them equally. Halley was neither competent nor serious in her discourse. She was engaged in political manoeuvring rather than presenting political or intellectual stimuli to the international forum, which is based on realism as opposed to idealism.
To some shallow minds, Halley did well, but to the majority of us who live and eat political realism, she revealed her incompetence. I admire her courage to stand with one of the country’s most formidable debaters in the person of Dr Singh, whose answers were articulate and strategic.
Let’s go behind the BBC World Questions.
Now, Presenter Johnny Diamond and his team did a fantastic job putting together the BBC experience.
My only critique is that the seven questions selected in the end appear as though the producers of the BBC show wanted an explosive episode of the series. They wanted ‘fire’ and to give the impression to the world that all is not well in ‘little Guyana.’ They wanted to take the discussion down a certain line that would make listeners and viewers think negatively or critically about the current government, oil resources and poverty.
I pray that I am not right and I have misread their intentions. So, I will be lenient with them on their intention because the response to the questions certainly did not prove anything close to that.
It proved that the government is doing a very good job in being accountable and transparent with its oil resources and oil wealth, at least better than APNU+AFC and WIN. It proved that while a majority of Guyanese understand that Guyana is changing, modernising and blazing the development trail, a few smaller groups want the government to implement the popular measures so that they feel the benefits of this new-found wealth now, and in their pockets.
These people, like the APNU and WIN opposition and those who buy their arguments about poverty and the rising cost of living, are being impractical and part of the problem. They refuse to see the government’s ideological perspective, which is sustainability and growth. The PPP government is establishing strong social safety nets with an emphasis on education. It is busy reforming the country’s health sector while emphasising infrastructural development and at the same time putting the people first by spending billions on making life more affordable and bearable for Guyanese in this terrible world economy.
The government has the right mix and sure, they will not do everything right all of the time, but they do most things right some of the time. So, there is no problem, politically or otherwise, that is not curable or inherent in the system in Guyana.
I am confident that the government will get it right if we allow them.
Public dialogue, especially when it includes government, opposition, business, and citizens in the same room or forums such as the BBC World Series, is essential for a healthy democracy and a thriving modern nation.
Now, the questions were answered on regional and foreign policy, and Cuba. I can’t help but look at the BBC team as being provocateurs on these subjects. They are trying to start something with our ally for clickbait and social media. Dr Ashni handled the fiery questions admirably.
DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.