Resolving the Ethnic Struggle

November 20, 2015 By GuyanaTimes

by Ravi Sev

For two decades, I have been calling for our government to introduce “Ethnic Impact Statements”. In all societies the policies and subsequent implementation by any incumbent government will be evaluated critically. They are, after all, elected to run the State to secure the goals of that society. This scrutiny is even more vigilant in poor countries, especially by those who may have voted against the government, to discern whether the government is discriminating against them.

In some countries such as the US and UK, there are mechanisms to ascertain and announce ahead of time the impact of governmental policies on “minorities”. The more divided and polarized the society is, the more critical will be the evaluation of these policies, since the premise of the government being the hand-maiden of “one side” is even more credible.

In Guyana, to the extent past PNC and PPP Governments attempted to discuss the impact of their policies on “constituencies”, they insisted they favoured the “working class”. The “constituencies”, however, invariably evaluate every policy of the government from ethnic perspectives. The PNC and PPP had to defend every initiative – be it appointments and dismissals to and from the Public Service, downsizing of the bauxite sector, house-lot allocation, contract awards, etc – against claims of discrimination against the “other” constituency and favouring their own. The parties’ explanations were invariably too little, too late.

For instance, the PNC since 1992 had consistently accused the PPP of practicing racial/ethnic discrimination against primarily its African supporters. The charges of “marginalisation” from the African community have been the primary fuel in the ethnic

conflagrations since 1998. The agreement signed by President Jagdeo with Mr Hoyte (2001) and Mr Robert Corbin (2003), were attempts to answer such charges. But they simply led to additional charges and counter-charges over implementation. The PPP, like the PNC before it, refused to overcome its ideological reservations and deal with a spade as a spade. The shoe is now on the other foot once again.

Guyanese have all accepted (hopefully) the need for “Environmental Impact Statements” before embarking on programmes affecting the physical environment. The policy is an acknowledgement of the fragility of our environment and the importance we place on its health and survival, for our own health and survival.

Hopefully, after 2000-2008, we will now acknowledge our social environment is as important (and even more fragile) as our physical environment. The destruction of our social environment is the direct destruction of all of “us”: with the environment at least the effect is a bit indirect and delayed.

Unquestionably, the ethnic problem goes beyond governmental actions but we have to begin there since the state should serve all. It is a question of justice. No matter which party forms the Government, Governmental actions have to be conducted on behalf of all the people.

So what is the harm of scrutinising “ethnic impacts” ahead of policy implementation? The activities of the Government – unfortunately as in most of the Third World, produce most of the national patrimony. Equitable outcome for all groups is part of the reason why they are scrutinised so closely and emotionally.

If “Ethnic Impact Statements” could be crafted and issued before the announcement and implementation of policies and programmes, they would precipitate discussion and debate, as feedback mechanisms to modify them before they become political mobilisational tools.

To wait for the inevitable ethnic post-mortem is to ensure there will be trouble. Big trouble. The old cliché still holds: justice must not only be done, it must be seen to be done. “Ethnic Impact Statements” on Governmental activities would go a long way to ensuring the latter happy condition. “

In its Manifesto, the now APNU/AFC government promised that the Ethnic Relations Commission (ERC) will be empowered “to provide Ethnic Impact Statements of Cabinet Decisions and Government departments, where necessary, and such findings will be acted upon in the best interest of all Guyanese.” I remember during “Third Force” discussions, Rupert Roopnaraine commended this initiative. Was it his input?

Be as it may, we hope Ethnic Impact Statements arrive sooner rather than later.