I do not expect there to be only saints and no sinners in the National Assembly. Stones will be cast and even those considered infallible will stumble. What I expect is that the needs of Guyanese people to be prioritised and therefore plans to better our lives will be the focus. What I expect is that our representatives will exhibit decorum. I am not saying that members of the National Assembly should hold hands and sing ‘kumbaya’ or that their speeches should be quiet. Conflict is good for progress. I expect that they will fervently debate the issues and ultimately the best decisions will emerge in the interest of the Guyanese people.
But what I have often witnessed in the National Assembly is disgraceful. From members hurling insults and heckling each other to attention seekers who scream and shout as though they are being violated. A sex toy was displayed during the budget debate this week. It must be noted that there is a ban on the importation of such devices to Guyana. In my opinion the ban does not make sense, but that is for another discussion. The one who held the toy sought to highlight an error of the previous government who he alleged brought in the sex toy instead of a medical chest vibrator.
It was reported that homophobic, sexist and racist remarks were made in the National Assembly. Government and opposition members of parliament took jabs at each other. It was so reprehensible that for a little while I convinced myself that what I was reading was satire. The Speaker of the House was probably overwhelmed.
The behaviour of the members of parliament who chose to engage in the tomfoolery is inexcusable. There is no place for such idiocy, triviality and vulgarity when you are making decisions on behalf of the Guyanese people. If there is that much toxicity in government and opposition, who are supposed to lead by example, how can we be surprised that our society is in chaos?
How can any member of parliament choose to throw homophobic remarks when the supporters of both government and opposition are of all sexual orientations?
How can any member of parliament choose to hurl sexist remarks and be believed to respect women and human rights?
How can any member of parliament hurl racist remarks when they have set themselves up as the bastions of a unified Guyana? It is laughable but not funny. The words that emerge from many of these politicians’ mouths regarding national unity conflict with their actions.
We, the Guyanese people, have collectively reserved holding these leaders accountable for too long. Many who support the government or opposition will never speak up regardless of how ill-thought their decisions appear, or how selfish, dishonest, prejudiced and divisive their actions may be. Not because one supports government or opposition means one cannot criticize them when they err. But I understand that some may be afraid of losing their privileges. I understand that some cannot or will not speak because their moral compasses are lost or damaged. But it is our silence and excuses that have created some of the God complexes we see in our leadership. Blind party loyalty and voting for the best oppressors are reasons we are still trying to find our way almost 55 years after Independence.
I expect strong leadership. I do not want weak or timid people representing me. I expect that they will loudly use their voices to argue on behalf of the Guyanese people. To see that it is we who benefit from the best this country has to offer and not foreign powers or those who make up government and opposition and their family and friends. I know that those who lead this nation must be prepared to fight battles the average man can never imagine. Perhaps what the Guyanese people know is just a smidgen of the battles being fought for Guyana. Perhaps we do not know how much of our sovereignty might have been sold. The announcement made by the United States embassy a few weeks ago that we had agreed for Taiwan to set up an office here is an example. The fact that this was rescinded the very next day after we were upbraided by China is very telling. Are we truly a sovereign nation in complete control of our affairs? What are they hiding from us? When is it ever appropriate for the United States embassy to make any announcements on behalf of the Guyanese people?
I thought about the young people who are observing the behaviour of some of our members of the National Assembly and the lessons they are probably learning. While they may be learning valuable lessons from those members who make great presentations, are great debaters, and who are honest and truly have the best interests of the Guyanese people at heart, too often the undesirable actions of the others seem to outshine the beams of lights that are found in the National Assembly.
Is this the best we can do Guyana? Do we really believe that some of the people we have chosen to represent us, deserve to stand on our behalf? What are the young people who aspire to be the leaders to think when our present leaders make such poor decisions and display their indecency in the National Assembly?
There is so much that bothers me about Guyana. There is the Guyanese struggle which includes poverty, social injustices and immorality. There are the struggles regarding race relations.
The struggle here is complex. Why do some of us continue to excuse our politicians when nothing about our personal lives have improved because of their poor decisions or their lack of care? There is no government or opposition for all the people. They put party loyalty above all else. They will stand in the National Assembly and excuse the firing of public servants while calling them obstructionists to the plans of the government. Are we to accept that only supporters of the political party in power are to work in government? The biggest obstructionists to progress in Guyana are not public servants or other ordinary citizens; the biggest obstructionists are the politicians who seem to possess a herd mentality. They may appear to sit on different sides of the table, but beneath the surface, they are largely all the same.