Dear Editor,
I refer to Ms Gillian Burton’s letter, ‘The issue is not the ethnicity of a presidential candidate but their competence and integrity’ (SN, September 12) and am conscious that her statement “that is why I was somewhat disappointed that one of my brother trade unionists should offer the opinion that an Indian presidential candidate is not the answer to Guyana’s problems,” is directed to my writing. It should be made clear that this is a misrepresentation of what I said. At no time did I say that race is a factor in determining who should be president. I have consistently argued that the Guyana Constitution does not make race a determining factor in the selection of the presidential candidate or election of the president. Ms Burton has the right, as a member of her political party, to champion the cause of a candidate of her choice, and it is unconstitutional for anyone to seek to deny her that right. In pursuit of her mission she does not have a right to misrepresent what I said.
With regard to voting I have repeatedly made it known that the issue before us is the protection of one’s rights, and in this instance, the right to freedom of association on the grounds of race.
This matter is not about the candidature of Mr Winston Murray, or whoever wants to be president. It is about leaders and others telling citizens not to exercise their constitutional right when it comes to selecting and electing who they want to represent their interests. As such I wish to caution that no one has the right to tell anyone who is prepared to cast his support/ballot for a candidate that he must deny himself the right to chose because of race, since race while not a constitutional factor to determine the selection/election of the presidential candidate, is a constitutional right when it comes to one’s right to association. To say to anyone that they ought to vote for another race instead of the one they identify with has to be seen as an attack on a race in content.
May I reiterate that the time has come for our politicians to develop programmes that take on board the concerns of every interest group and that respect the constitutional rights of every citizen and take their message to the people. Instead what we are seeing is the resort to the lazy and race-based politics of telling the electorate, “Don’t vote race” in the hope that even while they promote and support the transgression of the rights of others that they can simultaneously solve government discriminatory management of the state.
This issue is about rights which form the bedrock of any modern and civilized society and no political party or candidate elected to public office has the right to allocate public resources that discriminate against a race. This is what we are seeing happening every day under the PPP administration and to which our attention and passion should be directed. Instead, the ordinary voter is being made to feel that his deprivation and oppression under this government is his fault because he has exercised his constitutional right to freedom of association, when the fault lies with the government for abusing its authority and misusing the state’s resources in discriminatory fashion. When one is elected to public office or serves the public interests, s/he has to be guided by the constitution, the oath of office and the responsibilities that come with it.
Those aspiring to be elected cannot seek such aspiration by denying voters their right to freedom of association. You cannot vie for office under the same conditions you want the voters to believe you are fighting against unless you are misleading them.
It is not which race or which party you are from, it is about upholding the tenets of the constitution which does not give anyone the right to request that another give up his right in order to enjoy the right to be treated equally by the government of the day. These are fundamental rights protected in the Guyana Constitution and it’s time we take a stand for what is just and fair.
The failure of some leaders in society to hold this government accountable for its conduct, yet at the same time ascribing to themselves the authority to tell groups that they ought not to vote for persons who look like them is an act of contributing to a new form of discrimination by throwing the tenets of the constitution through the window. We have a government that violates the constitutional rights of the citizens, and rather than challenging the government for committing these acts, some want to turn and join the government in transgressing the rights of citizens.
There should be no problem with the race of any president. The problem should be how s/he governs, since once elected and having taken the oath of office to serve, the actors must govern consistent with the constitution and be held accountable at all times.
It is important that our politicians, most importantly our opposition politicians, who are vying to replace the ruling party understand that development is about people, which foremost includes the protection of all their rights, upon which sound economic programmes are built. Anyone who comes to the electorate asking for their votes must eschew anti-constitutional tactics, because when you are running for, or hold public office, your behaviour and actions are circumscribed by the constitution and you shall be held accountable by these standards.
Yours faithfully,
Lincoln Lewis
