The dictatorship of distance: President Ali should listen

benefit all of it, if for only one moment of oneness

By GHK Lall

A l e a d e r w i t h considerable global standing, a man respected (and condemned) by many, shared a few thoughts and wordsduringanengagement recently

I think that they have resonance and depth, which isthereasonthatIlaythemat thefeetofmyowncherished leader, His Excellency, PresidentAli.

He is cherished because he is still my brother, warts and all My hope is that President Ali will listen, and that those in his cabinet of a particular persuasion (two women in particular),andotherswithin his team, one I know well, would summon the courage and integrity to assist the leader by recommending that he takes what is shared toheart.

Guyana can only

The thoughts and ords of that international esence that stirred the mostnowfollow

“Even though they say hecriticizedme,fine,hehas the right Criticism is a human right.” Then, “If it’s notlikethis,therewouldbea dictatorship of distance, as I call it, where the emperor is thereandnoonecantellhim anything.

No, let them speak because ... criticism helps you to grow and improve things.”

Further, “You prefer that they don’t criticize, f o r t h e s a k e o f tranquility” Still further, “But I prefer that they do it because that means there’s freedomtospeak.”

And finally, “The only thingIaskisthattheydoitto my face because that’s how weallgrow,right?”

The Speaker was Pope Francis, head of the Roman Catholic Church during a recent interview withtheAssociatedPress.

I am Roman Catholic, andsocialjusticeissuesare paramount in our belief system For the Pontiff, immigration, poverty, e n v i r o n m e n t , a n d homosexualityarepriorities. For me, they are unity, equality, integrity to duty, andmore.

The Catholic Church has not dealt in truth with destructive issues, and engaged in cover-ups Though it pains to say so, thereisnochoice,ifIamto betruetomyself.

I put all these before President Ali because I believe that they are i n v a l u a b l e to his leadershipjourney

But only if he listens, not at anything religious, but what is of the majesty o f f r a n k n e s s a n d fearlessness, because both a r e i m m e r s e d i n truthfulness

My own President bristles when he is criticized, with plenty in thatstorehouse Nolistisnecessarysince he and his people know full wellwhatisinvolved.

As the man from the barrios said, “criticism is a human right” and “criticism helps…to grow.” When I disagree with President Ali and his indefensible postures, I will go down battling that it is based on what is the honest record, and if it were present would bepersonallyappealing,and nationallyinspiring. Igrow; hecanalso.

One burden, a trial, of being a leader, is that he or she does not get to decide u n i l a t e r a l l y a n d tyrannically what is constructive, what should be said, and what should be acceptedorrejected

Before Guyana’s head of state, I bring this humble reminder: it is of the hallmarks of democracy, a trulyopensociety,thatthere is the right to differ, however obstreperous such m a y b e , h o w e v e r obnoxious

For my part, I admit to being sharp, scorching, and piercing at times, and for thatIflagellatemyself Iknowbetter

For, if there is neither courage nor wisdom to differ, then all that we have leftiswhatwasbestsaidby the Pontifex Maximus: we w o u l d h a v e “ t h e dictatorship of distance” and “no one can tell him [leader]anything.”

Thereisnogrowing.

Respectfully, I submit that this is what our dear PresidentAliprefers,works assiduously to nurture, wouldhavenootherway.

If the President is offended, then I am offendedthatthisistheonly reaction that the wellintended, and the wellgrounded,caninspire

As national leaders ( s p i r i t u a l o n e s unexempted), and as lowly private citizens, there must be learning and embracing of the good with the bad, and labouring endlessly to do better with the former, and attract lesser of the latter

When one smart untruth, one little falsehood, one tiny deception is delivered in the national arena, then a long, devastating line of untruths and falsehoods and deceptions must follow to bolsterthefirstsmallone.

That is, unless the personal strength, the indomitableindividualwill, the leadership (and citizen) light stirs to say: not anymore, not one more of what exposes further and embarrassesfurther.

I leave my leader, President Ali, this little nugget for him to ponder.

The late Cardinal George Pell reportedly wrote and circulated a memorandum inside the Vatican that called Pope Francis a “ d i s a s t e r ” a n d a “catastrophe ”

The Pope’s response was,“hehastheright.” My besttothePresident.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this n e w s p a p e r a n d i t s affiliates.)