Dear Editor,
As elections 2011 draws near the fear of the nation, of all law abiding citizens, and the international community, must be the return of the PPP to power.
This fear is real for all after 18 years of corruption, poor governance, narco militarism, nepotism, state violence, moral and social decay, marginalization and authoritarianism. The list is long and frightening. It is indeed time to end the era of anti-democratic, anti working class, racism and hostile governance. It is also time for the nation and the opposition forces to recognize that a divided opposition will ensure the continuation of the social, moral and economic degradation that are destroying the society.
Having been a labour leader who has consistently stood up for the rights of the working class, who knows struggles and has been at the forefront of struggles all my adult life, I am concerned about the lack of unity and the ineffective approaches to bring about meaningful change in this land of ours and to free all people from the bondage of tyranny.
In the interest of this nation there must be a singleness of purpose to achieve this. If the opposition undermines each other and themselves it denies the suffering masses an opportunity to a better life and peaceful co-existence built on the pillars of justice and equality.
All Guyanese in deciding whether they can take any more of this oppressive regime must be able to differentiate between truth and fiction. They must also demand accountability from those who try to influence their views and actions that would threaten or dismantle the force(s) required in any effort to keep the oppressors in check and bring about a change in governance in 2011.
The motive of those who do otherwise must be questioned and their true intent placed under scrutiny. Whatever the political or power dynamic it is safe to conclude that any effort directed away from the source of our problems would see the continuation of the oppressors of this nation.
Guyanese workers deserve better, all Guyanese, deserve freedom from this oppressive machinery. Those who seek to destroy or weaken any aspect of the defence or artillery against the oppressors must be rejected by the masses who have suffered enough.
As we gear ourselves for elections some serious questions need to be answered. Is election 2011 going to be focused on bringing about a change for the benefit of all the people where equality, justice and fair play can prevail for all peoples of Guyana? Are the efforts of those who seek to lead this nation attacking the right target? Are they aiding the disintegration and attacking the force (s) that can help to bring about change because clandestinely, some are working towards creating opposition disharmony, in order to facilitate a continuation of the system of governance that is taking all of us downhill. Are we all working towards meaningful change in 2011 and will the actions of our leaders dictate these efforts?
I remind those whose quest for power may be inadvertently jeopardising this nation’s hope for recovery and charting a new course, that it is the PPP administration which controls the reins of government and which is bringing us as a nation and as a people to our knees in mendicancy. It is this administration that is marginalising and putting our men, women and children on the breadline, presiding over unprecedented levels of unsolved crime affecting our business community and citizens and also works assiduously to divide our people. To date this nation still awaits resolution to the killings of Sash Sawh, Ronald Waddell and the Lusignan, Bartica and Lindo Creek massacres, among countless other dead and murdered citizens, members of the Guyana Police Force and alleged criminals. It awaits resolution to the East Coast Demerara and Roger Khan mayhem.
It is this administration that has our children as victims of child traffickers and pimps, making our young girls into prostitutes, with our young men walking the streets hopeless, with no formal system to channel their youthful energies as they ply the streets to become drug mules, traffickers, mercenaries and hired guns for narco and other criminal bosses. It is this administration that has forged a marriage of the underground and formal economies, abuses our tax dollars, tramples on our rights and engineers disharmony and hostility as it takes a ringside seat to reap the benefits.
The target for 2011 is and must be properly identified and the oppressive government booted if we desire any meaningful change in our current and future circumstances. Our political and civic actions must point in that direction.
Yours faithfully,
Lincoln Lewis
