In his column in Kiskadee Watch on September 3rd under the heading `How to run a country’, international civil servant and former University of Guyana Chancellor, Dr Bertrand Ramcharan invoked the philosophy of Roman statesman Marcus Tullius Cicero.
In what will be seen as searing commentary on the state of governance here, the columnist posited that Cicero thought that the best form of government embraced a balance of powers.
“Even the most noble rulers will become tyrants if their reign is unchecked, just as democracy will degrade into mob rule if there are no constraints on popular power. A just government must be founded on a system of checks and balances. Beware the leader who sets aside constitutional rules claiming the need for expediency or security. Guyana has seen the latter in abundance”, Dr Ramcharan asserted.
He noted that Cicero counselled that leaders should be of exceptional character and integrity. Those who would govern must possess great courage, ability, and resolve.
“True leaders always put the interest of their nation above their own. Governing a country is like steering a ship, especially when the storm winds begin to blow. If the captain is not able to hold a steady course, the voyage will end in disaster for all”, he wrote.
The maritime allegory is particularly pertinent in light of the tragedy that befell the people aboard the MV Barima on July 18th this year.
Intelligence is capital for leadership, Cicero advised. Those who govern a country should be the best and the brightest of the land. If leaders don’t have a thorough knowledge of what they are talking about, their utterances will be a silly prattle of empty words and their actions will be dangerously misguided, Dr Ramcharan said of Cicero’s teaching before positing the question: Can one say that Guyana’s leaders, of whichever party, have been the best and brightest of the land?
Cicero, he added, thought that compromise was the key to getting things done. In order to get things done, the different factions in a country must be willing to work together. This bears repeating in the Guyanese context, Dr Ramcharan said. It is particularly relevant as the President has limited his interactions with the Leader of the Opposition.
Cicero, Dr Ramcharan said, cautioned against raising taxes unnecessarily and asserted that it is the duty of a country to provide fundamental services and security to its citizens.
“With its newly-found resources, raising taxes is now secondary as an issue in Guyana. But can one say the duty is being discharged to provide fundamental services and security to the citizens? Are the sea-defences secure in a country at risk from the rising ocean?”, Dr Ramcharan asked.
Cicero, he pointed out, underlined that corruption destroys a nation. Greed, bribery, and fraud devour a country from the inside, leaving it weak and vulnerable. Corruption is not only a moral evil, but a practical menace that leaves citizens at best disheartened, at worst seething with anger. The most important thing for public officials to avoid is even the suspicion of greed and personal gain. “This advice will raise eyebrows in the Dear Land of Guyana”, Dr Ramcharan posited.
Cicero, he added, underlined that the job of a leader is to govern and to take decisions that are just, advantageous to the country, and in keeping with the law.
“The laws of a state rule over a leader. Ideally, the leader must be the voice of the law and the law the silent leader. The rule of government should be in harmony with justice. The leader of a country should strive for citizens to lead a happy life with financial security, abundant resources, good reputations, and honest virtue”, wrote of Cicero’s philosophy.
“To Guyana with love. May its governance be wise and just”, Dr Ramcharan ended his contribution. Several weeks earlier he had issued other cautions while comparing the trajectories of India and Guyana after they gained independence.
He prescribed the following areas of focus for Guyana. 1. Monitor grievances by different sectors of the population; 2.Address social inequalities particularly affecting indigenous communities; 3. Always be mindful of the risks of environmental degradation; 4. Address the declining capability of public institutions, including the non-functioning of parliament and political encroachments on the police and the judiciary; and 5. Be vigilant about the cult of personality at the apex of government. The last admonition will fall well within the philosophy of Cicero.
President Ali and his government are in full control of the State, its burgeoning purse and Parliament and have set their sights on other areas of national life. Wiser counsel should prevail and reflect on the balance that should be struck between the executive and watchdog institutions.
In his most recent column in Kiskadee Watch former Auditor General Anand Goolsarran declared that the public procurement system which is supposed to keep watch over the allocation of billions of dollars in contracts is broken. That declaration can surely not be ignored and cast aside if President Ali’s government is serious about observing the tenets of good governance.
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