Dear Editor,
Independence anniversaries for many countries are usually observed or celebrated, depending on the existing circumstances in each country on the anniversary date.
In neighbouring Venezuela to the west, where continuing chaos and chronic shortages have overtaken the land, July 5 would mark the 206th anniversary since the country declar-ed its independence from Spain. But there is no sign there will be anything to celebrate come July 5, 2017 as President Nicolas Maduro fights to hang on to power amidst fear he is becoming a dictator.
In neighbouring Brazil to the south, where protests have hit the nation’s capital, Brasilia, September 7 would mark the 195th anniversary since the country declared its independence from Portugal. But instead of preparing to celebrate, the citizens there are protesting government corruption and demanding better wages and health facilities, as President Michel Temer fights to hang on to power.
In neighbouring Suriname to the east, where protests hit the nation’s capital Paramaribo under a month ago, November 25 would mark the 41st anniversary since the country gained its independence from the Netherlands. But instead of preparing to celebrate, the citizens angrily protested the rise in fuel prices and economic hardship, and demanded the resignation of President Desi Bouterse.
Guyana has been having its share of protests, including one against the parking meters scam and sporadic ones against pending sugar estate closures. But there has been no call for President David Granger to resign, and his hold on power is not under any known direct or indirect threat.
Still, we can’t ignore the feeling of growing unease or dissatisfaction among segments of society in Guyana or in neighbouring countries that achieved political independence from colonial masters under the impression that locals can do a better job as masters of their own domain and destiny.
The jury of social scientists may still be out on a verdict of what is really responsible for what ails so many countries that have attained political independence, but one thing remains clear and constant: the people will celebrate when times are good and protest when times are bad or things go wrong.
Editor, my view is that until such time that people’s rights are honoured and economic independence positively affects the ordinary people, then political independence celebrations and observations are a complete waste of time. The whole concept of political independence was to allow locals to become masters of their own domain and destiny, and in the same way local politicians fought colonial masters for independence, ordinary citizens continue to fight local politicians for better governance.
In May 2015, many of us were so angry and frustrated at the pervasive corruption of the PPP government that we rallied around the APNU+AFC coalition as the sole viable alternative, and, in retrospect, therein rests what may well be the mistakes many Third World people have made since their countries gained political independence: They wanted change so badly that they settled for the next best alternative without truly knowing what will actually happen. Politicians promise change but deliver exchange.
In Guyana today, there is a new hope being promoted that things will get better when Guyana starts pumping oil around 2020, which should also be the year of scheduled elections. But will any abundance of oil money result in economic prosperity for ordinary Guyanese? Can the present crop of politicians, whether in the coalition or opposition, be trusted to manage Guyana’s petrodollars for the people’s benefit? If these politicians have not been good at handling a little, how can they be great at
handling a lot?
After 51 years of political independence, we don’t need turtle-brained politicians who will move the economy at glacial speeds. We don’t need politicians whose brains can quickly think up schemes to enrich and empower themselves. We don’t need politicians who are prepared to use the race card to divide and rule. What we need are politicians who are the exact opposite of all three foregoing negative qualities, and then some additional positive qualities.
With President Granger becoming 75 and Prime Minister becoming 70 in the year 2020, we don’t know if they will be up to the task at the time of oil boom and scheduled elections or if they are even grooming successors, but it is very clear to most observers that Guyana appears to have a small pool of political leaders with the requisite capacity to take Guyana from this delicate state to developed state.
Guyana definitely cannot afford to have Bharrat Jagdeo again anywhere near power, which means the country’s future may be hanging in the balance if we continue to have an abundance of potential but never the right type of visionary and valued leadership. Future leaders just need to start rising up and defying the odds to turn Guyana from surviving on race-based political corruption to succeeding on an inclusion-based platform.
Yours faithfully,
Emile Mervin
