Dear Editor,
Government is there for a purpose. Therefore, when a government no longer serves its purpose, it is time for the citizens to make changes that will benefit them. So, what is government’s function, and, in Guyana, is it performing that function?
Philosopher Jean-Jaques Rousseau, one of the founders of the social-contract theory, gave us some answers. In 1762, he wrote: “Governments draw power from the people they govern; a legitimate state meets the needs and wishes of citizens.” Among those needs, the philosopher highlighted security, economic development and conflict resolution.
Editor, our government does not meet any of those needs. Guyanese have no security despite paying taxes. According to police statistics, armed robberies have increased by 27%, to 473 at the end of May. Robberies involving guns are up by 33%. The number of murders has risen by 12%. Our economy may be even worse: children still go to bed hungry, the elderly are insulted monthly by a ridiculously meagre pension, large families continue to live in small shacks, and Guyana’s young people cannot find jobs.
Our government also gets a failing grade in conflict resolution. Instead of uniting Guyanese, this government seems to be producing more divisions. Politicians continue to spout racially divisive rhetoric in their quest to hold power; ethnic differences are being deliberately deepened. Class divisions are widening too, as poor Guyanese sink into destitution, while the wealthy elite build bigger mansions. Our rulers seem to be causing greater conflicts instead of resolving them.
But we do not need an eighteenth-century philosopher to tell us government’s purpose; our own constitution spells it out. According to Article 13: “The principal objective of the political system is to extend socialist democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens in the management and decision-making processes of the state.”
We must ask ourselves: are our leaders providing increasing opportunities for our participation, or are they denying us the right to choose local leaders? And what about democracy? Are they extending it? Can we express opinions, or are they strangling free speech by denying state advertisements to the independent press? Do they respect the law, or are they blatantly flouting the constitutional requirement for local government elections? The fact is, it appears that this regime has declared war on democracy: democratic institutions are being broken down; pro-democracy projects, such as LEAD, are being blocked; and foreign dignitaries are being verbally attacked in their own homes, for advocating democratic improvements.
The philosopher’s observation that governments draw power from the people, must not be overlooked by Guyanese; citizens give power to the government. His use of the term, “legitimate state” is also important. He said too, that governments operate through the consent of the people. Therefore, if the people decide that leaders are not meeting the needs of the citizens, they have a duty to act. If the interests of the people are no longer being represented, then, the government may be considered illegitimate. Guyanese must make these decisions. We can choose to continue suffering under an oppressive regime. Or, we could withdraw the power that we gave to the rulers; we can take back our consent. We have the right and power to do that.
Yours faithfully,
Mark DaCosta
