Dear Editor,
The swearing in on May 26, 2010 of Mrs Kamla Persad-Bissessar as the first female Prime Minister of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago excited me at two levels.
Firstly, while the Constitution of Trinidad and Tobago, like ours, guarantees the equality of men and women, most would agree that invisible social barriers still stand in the way of women taking their rightful place in the highest echelons of public life. That Prime Minister Persad-Bissessar has transcended these invisible barriers should excite not only all women but all people of Caricom.
My greater excitement is that this victory emphatically says to the people of Guyana that a coalition of political and civil forces against the incumbent government at the next national and regional elections can, and in my opinion will, result in a victory for all the people of Guyana.
My challenge to the leaders of all the opposition parties and leaders of civil society is to urgently separate themselves from their egos, put Guyana first and excite the people of Guyana by unequivocally committing to the formation of an umbrella opposition movement to contest our next national and regional elections.
When such a victory is achieved it must not be seen as Guyana’s political destination but rather as a historic step in the journey to a governmental system of shared governance that must include the Peoples Progressive Party.
Yours faithfully,
Deborah Backer, MP
