Dear Editor,
Going by Gecom’s publication of the results of the National and Regional Elections one element that stands out is that the majority of the electorate has leaned heavily in favour of the candidate based on their ethnic identity. It is clear that ethnicity remains a major reason for voting in our multi-racial society. What the voters have done cannot be considered wrong, given the fact that they have exercised their fundamental right, guaranteed in the UN Universal Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 147 of the Guyana Consti-tution, which protects the right to self determination through freedom of association.
What however remains a burning issue, which this nation must forthwith frontally address, is the political predisposition to deny others what’s rightly theirs because they do not hold the reins of executive power. Another issue we face in our divisive politics is that while the conflicts are more manifest between Africans and Indians, the right of other ethnic groups to aspire to the country’s highest office by virtue of the constitution which protects this aspiration, has either been ignored or treated with contempt through constant imposition in various forms.
No race has a monopoly on governance in a multiracial society, be it the major race or the minor of minors. And this must be reflected in the day-to-day management of this country. Governance is the day-to-day management of the business of all the people and has to be considered as a major factor in the determination of the results, since the results can be interpreted as a strong signal by the electorate regarding whom they have confidence in to represent their interest.
In fact what we have experienced over a number of years is a culture which says that regardless of whom you elect as your leaders the government would ignore your elected representatives and dictate to you regardless of the circumstances. And this is what makes a farce of democracy in this society because democracy is not only one man one vote, and declaring an election free and fair. Government must therefore be held accountable by all citizens, and the resources of the nation protected and managed in interest of all. This is what democracy is and it continues to elude us, as dominant forces continue to use race as a wedge rather than as a unifier as they ignore the cries of others for equality. In the creation of a just society these factors cannot and must not be ignored.
Behind this backdrop the utterance of Robert Persaud on the results and his criticism of the traditional PPP support base for their apathy about ensuring the party’s continued dominance in the parliament, especially given the PPP’s record of poor governance, reflects an insidious interpretation of democracy based on a notion of dominance. For Mr Persaud and the PPP ‘democracy‘ is at the expense of all citizens in the management and enjoyment of the nation’s resources which is theirs by right, regardless of who is supported, who wins, and whether persons voted or not.
Persons have also used the position articulated by the major representatives in the diplomatic community which cited race-based politics as a hindrance to our country’s development as a front to continue the inequity and rights violation. It should be said that given diplomatic-speak, in effect what this community has been saying is that we are failing to address the interests of all the racial groups as should be done in keeping with universal declarations that in their respective multiracial societies they are also bound by, and which their citizens struggle daily to uphold, holding accountable those who violate these sacred tenets.
Unfortunately for us the privilege given to a party to govern because of its plurality in votes has been used as justification to deny other groups, dictate to them, and shut their leaders out of decision-making on their behalf. The time is now for this nation to take the bull by the horns and frontally address this problem consistent with universal declarations and constitutional guarantees.
Yours faithfully,
Lincoln Lewis
