Days ago, the Berbice reggae artiste, “Mystic” released an online video of a Bartica pastor re-singing his 2019 hit single, “Live Like We At De Cricket.”
Rice farmer Romeo Nermal wrote the song to urge unity and harmony among Guyanese, outside of the cricket field. As the Amazon Warriors, Guyana has participated in five finals of the Caribbean Premier League (CPL) but never won the title, coming a disappointing second including last year, when passionate fans in their green and gold, swore the players would top the regional tournament. The team managed third in 2013 and 2017.
“Never let politicians come and change we,” Mystic sang in raw dialect, “Tell dem no, we nah deh pon dah (Tell them no, we not in that).” He warned, “Never let them come and divide (us), that is the only way that they can really rule…”
In his post on March 9, Mystic wrote, “This video was sent to me by a fan… Pastor singing ‘We nah Deh Pon Dah’ in the church …BIG UP yaself!! .. I’m VERY HAPPY to see the message being spread all over.. Was and is my desire for my music.. The Message is for my GUYANESE brothers and sisters. Regardless of race and religious beliefs. .#OneLove #LiveLifeLikeWeAtDeCricket.”
While he and many other Guyanese from Black Bush, to Buxton and Boston continue to wonder why this nation cannot live each day, like we do during the cricket competition, the contradictions, conflicts and consequences that curse us especially at election time, hit home particularly hard last Friday.
His nephew, teenager Devon Hansraj was killed with a single bullet by Police during protests in Cotton Tree, Berbice over last Thursday’s startling events at the Elections Commission. A stunned Nermal who has often lamented that “Racism is destroying Guyana,” admitted being “lost for words at this time.” Hansraj’s father denied his son was among those protesting on the public road, or that his son attacked the police as claimed in an official release.
Cap on his head, teenager Devon is pictured lounging in a hammock, unaware of what is to come. He is the first confirmed fatality in the violent aftermath of the country’s 2020 elections, as the nation remains in a state of heightened tension nervously awaiting confirmation of which party won the March 2, polls.
We are numbed too by reports of the four terrified schoolchildren who sustained cuts after the distinctive ‘David G’ school bus they were travelling in was hit with glass bottles, shattering the rear windscreen. The vehicle was named after President David Granger, who initiated a programme to transport children to school.
By now we have all seen the shocking photographs and videos of the burnt bus in the green and yellow colours of the coalition, the injured and outnumbered policemen, one with two broken hands; the looted businesses, the broken vehicles whose traumatised occupants barely escaped by driving on…
As the national catalogue of poll horrors past and present mount, and the President insists he will not allow “political malefactors” to hijack our democracy, we have to ask what awaits the electorate with yesterday’s related decision by the Chief Justice, Roxane George-Wiltshire.
She found that there had been substantial non-compliance by the Returning Officer for Region Four, Clairmont Mingo in his purported declaration of results for Region Four, deemed null and void and vacated. The Chief Justice ordered that, in keeping with the laws, the Commission cannot declare a final result until the declaration for Region Four is properly done, ruling that the process required for the declaration should begin by 11 this morning.
Many questions remain as to what process will be followed by Mingo and whether he will produce another questionable spreadsheet. Both of Guyana’s main parties, the PPP/C and the APNU+AFC have declared victory so supporters may not accept any announcement they do not like peacefully.
The Chief Justice termed it “saddening” that impartiality is absent, declaring that fairness should determine actions at all times, as she reminded that elections staff are human and must be treated with respect. She scolded the PPP/C’s lawyer, former Attorney General Anil Nandlall, “that it is incumbent upon you and all other political party leaders to be reasonable.”
Nandlall answered, “Your Honour we would not have been here if people were responsible,” prompting the Chief Justice to conclude, “Well, all sides have contributed to the problem we are confronting,” and in exasperation, “The fact of the matter is there is no need to cast blame, all sides have contributed to the issues that we have to had to ventilate and further I say not.”
At this 11th hour, in the optimistic words of a fan of Mystic, his song “clearly say(s) even if you vote for PPP or APNU+AFC, we should remain one (be)cause together we build our homeland.”
ID agrees with other comments by fans especially, “I can’t wait till election done,” and “Politics should never come between us.”
