“No taxation without representation” was the rallying slogan of the American revolutionaries in the American War of Independence. This slogan summarized a primary grievance of the British colonists, which was one of the major causes of the American Revolution leading eventually to the Declaration of American Independence in 1776.
The concept of ‘consent’ of the governed is universally accepted as being central to democracy. Periodic elections, observance of laws and adherence to what is known as the ‘social contract’ by elected officials are underpinnings and a necessary pre-condition to maintenance of such “consent.”
The Kaieteur News’ article of July 31, 2014 titled ‘Mahdia gold miners to withhold royalties over poor roads,’ consequently, must be seen and understood for what it is. The ‘social contract’ seems to have broken down or at a minimum is under severe threat. It is becoming more and more evident that the consent of the governed is fast disappearing as a result of the
