Dear Editor,
Political campaigns for the 2015 presidential elections in Guyana are in full swing with politicians doing everything to attract votes including misleading voters with the use of fictional sound bites – ‘let progress continue”, “unity”, “ it is time”. Then there are die hard party supporters, dancing to Bob Marley’s “One Love”. These politicians waste no time showcasing banners, featuring images of a black fist and a brown fist locked together with the goal of sending a message of racial unity. Disturbingly, these are all part of a string of manipulations aimed solely at winning an election. The obvious insincerity in these public displays is no more than a mark of disrespect for all Guyanese and serves to stoke rifts rather than unity.
Editor, ample evidence exists and supports the fact that both the PNC, reigning as APNU and the PPP/C have disrespected Guyanese for decades to the extent that they have inflicted a double whammy on the country by brow beating the Guyanese. Indeed their sole accomplishment was to choke development and cause pain throughout the country. The proof of which is that Guyana is among the countries with the highest number of suicides. It is no secret that the moral collapse in the nation had reached fever pitch under the PNC government and escalated under the PPP/C with the entire nation following suit. As part of our history, I am sure one of the topics that has been discussed in every household, including that of Comrade Moses Nagamootoo and Comrade David Granger is the subject of election rigging which has left a legacy of poverty and disenfranchisement. This part of our history is no secret in Guyana or abroad. To deny this is to further disrespect an entire nation which is still reeling from pains inflicted by this wound.
Unity within any diverse society like Guyana is built on respect for each other but this is so lacking that all sorts of problems arise, including firestorms over election results. President Jimmy Carter will be supervising this upcoming election because we had had problems throughout our history due to a lack of respect for each other. I clearly remember that every election under the PNC, citizens including my own family cast their ballots only to be disappointed that their voices were snatched away. Many of these folks have passed on before having a chance to participate in a free and fair election in Guyana. This is sad, disrespectful, painful, as well abusive to an entire nation which requires a formal, unequivocal and irrefutable apology from Comrade Granger on behalf of the PNC. The PPP/C also wasted no time taking advantage of this situation, to the extent that they have mistreated all Guyanese by largely giving them the Burnham style treatment. Adding to this dynamics of dysfunction, APNU is using unity as a ploy to gather votes in spite of the fact that they have done nothing to unite the people, these stories demonstrate glaring disrespect and serve to undermine an entire nation.
The purpose of unity is development and this must happen before Guyana can rise as a nation. To this end, I have advocated in a letter to the editor which was printed in the Kaieteur News on January, 18th of this year on the importance of changing governments, as often as is needed, with a racially united voice. Subsequent to this, on Valentine’s Day, I was elated to have witnessed the “marriage” of the AFC and the APNU in an AFC+APNU coalition dubbed on Facebook as the “unity train”. I was also immensely elated to be on this “unity train” because it would have meant development. However, after the dust had settled, I realized that this “marriage” is not unity, rather it is simply hogwash and manipulations for votes. How can this be unity without a formal apology to heal the many wounds in the country? What has the campaign done to unite people except to sell the sound bites of unity for votes? Sure, we need to swing power away from a failed PPP/C government but this needs to be done in a respectful way to all for the benefit of the entire nation.
As Election Day draws closer, my disappointment deepens fearing that Comrade Granger, like Comrades Burnham, Jagdeo and Ramotar will not apologize due to a lack of respect and immaturity in the democratic process. I am now convinced that the “unity train” which took off months ago will roll into the polling stations on Election Day, as a “divided train”, without so many who so genuinely yearn to be on it. As a matter of principle, I cannot board this “unity train”. Not this time. I call on all organizations within Guyana, irrespective of their political views and affiliations, to speak in one voice against any kind of disrespect. This includes but is not limited to the Guyana Bar Association and the Guyana Human Rights Association, among others. We must respect our country enough, so that we put it above politics and speak out in an impartial way. Like so many Guyanese, I hope to jump aboard future “unity trains” when the operators genuinely respect all Guyanese for the benefit of the entire nation.
Yours faithfully,
Annie Baliram
