Dear Editor,
Democracy is more than just having or guaranteeing free and fair election (FFE). The ABCE countries protected the will of the voters in March 2020 elections. The country is grateful and thankful. Are FFE the start and end of the democratic process? Are the ABCE countries only concerned about free and fair elections? Don’t they feel a moral duty to ensure the country also has democratic governance (consultation by the ruling party with the opposition and with the citizens, representatives of civic and political organizations)?
No doubt periodic free and fair elections is the hallmark of democracy. But once citizens vote, that is not the end of their involvement in the democratic pro-cess. The public is also empowered with a number of rights that are characteristic of democracy. But regrettably these rights are not enforced. This includes the right to criticize the government without fear of victimization. The government should accept open critiques of its actions. Democratic governance also involves absolute transparency and accountability in policymaking, expenditures, awarding of contracts, etc. In addition, the government must provide the opposition and civic groups equal access to the state media with freedom to question the government.
All of the preceding characteristics of democracy are absent in Guyana. The ABCE countries guaranteed the country free and fair elections. But why aren’t they speaking out about lack of transparency and accountability and abuse of the state-owned media and the one private media house that is more sycophantic in favour of the government than the state media? Why don’t the ABCE countries speak out on the lack of democracy in the selection of Presidential candidates in all the parties? Why aren’t they critical of the state media for its abuses of opponents and critics of the government?
What we have in Guyana is not a democracy but an elected autocracy. The people’s other rights are not enforced. The government is controlled by two individuals who have zero tolerance for criticism. There have been countless complaints on lack of accountability and transparency over the last two years; similar situation during the last regime and pre-2015. When the last regime was hell bent to manipulate the election result, sanctions were threatened. Visas of leading officials and their family members were cancelled by the USA. I appeal to the US Ambassador to invoke similar sanctions on those who are tied to corrupt practices and or violate other norms of a democratic culture.
Sincerely,
Samuel Gittens
