Dear Editor,
Democracy means more than just ‘winning’ elections. However, in Guyana it appears as though democracy ceases to exist immediately after elections have been held – this is done in order to accommodate the new king to the throne.
The king then becomes arrogant, power drunk, selfish and dictatorial.
All of this and more can only occur in a country where the masses allow the king to reign without being accountable to them – this is not what democracy entails.
In fact, the king ensures that he rules with an iron fist in order to silence his opponents.
No wonder the masses become fearful, unions are bought out, the army and the police become servants of the regime, public servants are afraid to protest, judges and magistrates are afraid of being independent, extra-judicial killings and torture are condoned, journalists are afraid to speak out, newspapers and TV stations are starved of government ads because they refuse to bow to the dictatorial fantasies of the king – and the list goes on.
What is even more dangerous is when the king knowing that his time is limited by the constitution still in a subtle way tries for a third term – this is dangerous and the masses must not allow this to happen.
Yours faithfully,
Mark Benschop
