Book Review: Parliament in the Republic of Guyana

Last Updated on Sunday, 21 January 2024, 7:35 by Denis Chabrol

Book Review by GHK Lall

Parliament in the Republic of Guyana is an impressive read, and an outstanding effort put forward by former Speaker of the National Assembly, Mr. Raphael G. C. Trotman in this second edition.  It is a bona fide historical treat for students, citizens, and those who are avid readers of events, personalities, contributors, and luminous figures in Guyana’s rollercoaster relationship with democracy.  There is a cascade of names, facts, high points, low points, and other points in the rollcall of the years that retrace steps way back in time.  The mists can be peered through with greater ease, for there is greater clarity in this well-laid out writing.  It is captivating for long stretches of the 342 pages of this tome, dense on occasion, but always gripping in the hold that it has on readers.  There is plenty to absorb, much more to reminisce about over the years of struggle in Guyana to get to where the standards are today.

There is what should bind readers, keep them in thrall, with clear and crisp prose that is intriguing as well as compelling.  In its 342 pages, Parliament in the Republic of Guyana furnishes one and all, from the casual to the serious reader, with an education in centuries of local history.  From the physical attributes of the meeting place for the making of laws, to the presentation of national financial plans (budgets), to the architectural elegance of layout and setting, to the throes that lawmaking can sometimes be, to the clashing arts of politics, this book has it all, says it all.  It possesses the singular distinction of probably not being challenged and bettered for a while to come.

The reader could thrill to a pictorial tour, a smooth moving effort that covers many years and much ground, and holds in a close embrace.  This is an elemental part of Guyana’s history, the Guyana story.  Smooth chronological order, meticulous compilation of a swift moving train of events of deep historical significance.  A real primer for students at many levels, as a reference tool, and for familiarity and immersion in the many contours of parliamentary democracy through its many trials and traumas, its not so frequent moments of consensus and cooperation.  The figures that are heroes to some and villains to others are walked with, understood a little bit more, come to life in ways more human, and in a manner that garners greater comprehension, if not some degree of sympathy.

There is painstaking attention to detail.  Tremendous historical content that reads with the ease of a well-written, fast-moving novel.  By the end of this book, there is sure to be clearer and greater understanding and appreciation for what goes into lawmaking, the work of the National Assembly.  And how the intricate mechanism of parliamentary democracy, the Guyana version, hums and purrs, and sometimes grind to a halt.  Long segments introduce the reader to the world of Motions and Petitions, of the Constitution and No Confidence Motion, of mischief with the mace, to the mayhem that can accompany debates about money, and other matters of national importance.

The eloquence is simple but stirring, with subtle comments on the powers of the executive president, paramountcy of the party, critical support, the political wilderness years of Cheddi Jagan and the PPP.  The memory lane of the dubious roles of world powers is visited and fleshed out, along with the devastations wreaked on a society that is now still polarized beyond repair.  If there is one criticism that is justified is that the choice of words is often too subdued, with the obvious objectives of not tampering with old scars never less than raw (and running), and to avoid the polemics of sharper language that would do more harm than good.

Many of the storied names of Guyanese political legend, trade union lore, and legal acumen are given prominence.  For others, it would represent a reunion with some of the illustrious figures from Guyana’s past.  Another shortfall that is certain to attract critical scrutiny is the very tactful coverage of the disputed elections during the period 1966-1992 under the helmsmanship of Forbes Burnham, and his PNC.  The sense is of caution to a fault, a reluctance to pander to emotions and passions that are always lurking just below the surface in divided Guyana.  The same could be said in the treatment of the No Confidence Motion of December 21, 2018 that upended Guyana’s parliament, the nation’s politics, and the relationship between the adversarial political groups.

An abundance of enriching extracts from the Constitution of Guyana, court proceedings, and parliamentary records substantiate the many areas of discussion, the various points made.  If anything, there is a Constitutional underpinning for just about every area ventured into, the known and unknown corners unraveled.  A strong point of this extensive work on parliament is the liberal, if not prodigious, extracts from, and references to, the Constitution to buttress a point or issue being presented and expanded.  The unrelating diet of Constitution fare can be numbing for some.

The pioneering women of Guyana come in for honorable mention, with satisfying space dedicated to their presence, their contributions, and their grueling journey to get to where they are today.   In this education in parliamentary democracy in action, notwithstanding its many challenges and flaws, Guyanese now have an invaluable resource at their fingertips.  It is one that should be easy to understand, easier to use, and easiest to employ to burnish or bolster some argument being made, or strong position taken.  This is a significant contribution to the literature of politics in Guyana, to the figures and years and protocols of Guyana’s premier institution for the development, refinement, and finalization of the laws that serve the interests of the people of this still young, still learning, nation.

Parliament in the Republic of Guyana is a yeoman work laced with grace and delicacy.  It is in consonance with the dignity of the subject, the hallowed National Assembly of Guyana, and the Guyanese people.