Moving Beyond the Salary Fallout: Follow Nagamootoo’s lead and talk directly to the People--Dr. Davi
by dr david hinds, guyana chronicle
Of all the comments by government officials on the raising of their salaries, including those by the president, the one by Moses Nagamootoo is the most politically sensible. The Prime Minister this past week did what the others failed to do; he acknowledged that there was a revolt against the government action and he suggested that there was some merit in the revolt. Critically, he agreed with some of us that the government should have gone to the people and explain the action. As the Minister of Information he selflessly took responsibility for that error but that does not erase the fact that this was a collective decision. But better late than never.
While his colleagues sought to address the explicit opposition to the salary hike, Nagamootoo addressed an implicit question. Most of the opposition focused on the morality of the government raising its pay at a higher rate than those of public service workers. That is a serious charge that cannot be won by the government. Unfortunately, that is the issue they sought to explain and every time they tried they dug a deeper hole. You simply cannot win that moral argument; morality is seldom on the side of governments.
Nagamootoo, on the other hand, addressed a less explicit question. Part of the rage against the salary hike is the following question—how could you do this without talking to us? And Nagamootoo said yes we should have spoken to you before we proceeded. In effect he acknowledged that there was merit in the opposition and he asked for pardon. Trotman asked for trust without even an implicit acknowledgement that the opposition had merit.
The Prime Minister in his admission of error also mentioned public relations. I hear him, but I think it’s more than PR. For me, this was not a public relations error, it was a political error. One great lesson here for the government going forward is that it must consult more. I am certain that had the Leadership Councils and memberships of the APNU and the AFC been properly consulted, the government would have learned that it was a politically risky undertaking. Similarly, had they gone into a few of the communities and raised the issue, they would have been advised not to do it. They simply did not consult their people and they paid the price.
Another great lesson the government should learn from all of this is that what makes technical sense does not always make political sense. All of that explanations about correcting the imbalance in the salary regime for government officials makes sense to the few among us who care about such subjects. But the ordinary people who have to make do with precious little instinctively read it differently. This is where political understanding comes in. The technical has to be explained politically. The argument has to be made to the people on how this benefits them and the country. Minister Harmon could argue that this was exactly what he was getting at when he linked the salary hike to anti-corruption. But his timing was bad; he was explaining after the fact. Government must learn to anticipate areas of potential opposition to its policies and actions and address them beforehand. And critically, it must not only anticipate the opposition of the Opposition Party, but of its own supporters.
Some commentators have opined that the fallout from this would hurt the government in the long term. I doubt it. But that would be determined by how the government acts going forward. I don’t think they would withdraw the increases; that would satisfy some critics but it would simultaneously weaken the government in its struggle with the opposition PPP for political space. But they have to make some bold moves. The key is to start consulting with the people and their organizations. Nagamootoo’s admission of error clears the way for that re-engagement with the people. I think the following initiatives could help.
First, address, with haste, the poor wages paid to workers. The new budget is coming soon. It is customary for government to bargain with the unions; that should start now. But this should be supplemented by wider consultations with the workers themselves. It makes sense to hold a series of Workers Wage Assemblies to speak to them about their wages and get from them how government officials’ wages should be handled in the future.
Second, the coalition parties, individually and together, should begin a series of community meetings across the country to report to the people on what the government has done thus far and get their feedback. Press conferences and releases are important but insufficient. Government Ministers should also appear on popular radio and TV programs regularly. They should appear on Plain Talk, Walter Rodney Groundings, Justice for All, African Drums, Facing the Nation and similar programs.
Third, they have to go beyond leaking the alleged corruption of the previous government. The government must call Mr Jagdeo’s bluff and let justice take its course. If the extent of the rage against the salary increases surprised the government, they would be shocked at the even more intense frustration over the inability to bring the accused to book. The appetite for justice on charges of corruption by the previous government is huge. The government must begin to act.
Fourth, they must begin their Local Government campaign now. Run as a Coalition but include non-party supporters with strong community records on your slates. The campaign should include Local Government workshops or assemblies to explain the importance of local democracy. It must be a campaign for votes, but it must also be a means of reconnecting with the people and reassuring them that despite an error or two on government’s part, they, the people still matter.
More of Dr. Hinds ‘writings and commentaries can be found on his YouTube Channel Hinds’ Sight: Dr. David Hinds’ Guyana-Caribbean Politics and on his website www.guyanacaribbeanpolitics.com. Send comments to dhinds6106@aol.com
