Tension, apprehension, fear, anger, excitement and hope are all jostling for space in the nation’s psyche. It would be all too easy, given the downward moral trajectory our country has taken for too many years, to succumb to despair. But the human being is a supremely optimistic creature and we are ever hopeful that one day change for the better will occur.
We therefore have to believe that there are enough good people left in Guyana to take this country forward. And we dare to believe that there are good people in all our political parties, who are just as appalled by some of the more recent egregious happenings and who recognise that, whatever the result on May 11, there must be a change in the way we do things, a change in governance, if you will.
Whichever party is elected to form the next government, the past several weeks of frenzied campaigning and national introspection have given those who have been paying attention, a fair idea of what Guyanese want or do not want, as the case may be. Let us try to summarise.
We want to live in a safe and secure environment, free from the murderous crime that has plagued the land, particularly over the past 12 years. We want to sleep easy at night and be able to walk the streets, day and night, without the fear of being harassed, assaulted and robbed of even the most trivial possessions; we want to live free of being maimed and killed in the process.
Our farmers would like to reap the harvest of their honest toil and not be subject to the constant threat of praedial larceny. Our fishermen want to ply their trade and not be at the mercy of pirates. Our miners, similarly, want to seek the riches of the land, free from the depredations of bush bandits.
Our citizens, as a whole, desire reliable public utilities and an efficient public service that will literally serve the public. We all want a regular supply of clean, clear, potable water and 24-hour electricity in all our towns, villages and communities, and at a reasonable price to boot. We wish for a well-equipped and well trained fire service that can have the water supply it needs to put out fires. We want a police service able to win the trust of the populace and enforce the law without fear or favour, capable of modern-day policing and crime solving. We want a judiciary capable of guaranteeing justice for all. We want a society subject to the rule of law where no one is above the law.
We yearn, moreover, for a society free from corruption and a system underpinned by transparency and accountability. As a basic principle, we must have a country built on foundations of equality and equity for all – equality before the law; equality of opportunity; and an equitable division of the bounty of the land and the fruits of our collective labour. In this regard, we need to create a level playing field for all, especially our youth. We need, for example, to channel the entrepreneurial talents of those of our young people who might have been seduced by the lure of the drug trade and channel them into legitimate, profitable, constructive, business activities. We need to inspire our youth to turn their energies to building a nation and not just making a living or even looking for ‘runnings’.
Ordinary people have more common sense than they are given credit for and we therefore want leaders who will listen to our views, hear our pleas and respect our opinions, even when they diverge from prevailing orthodoxies. And we, as citizens, must play our part, responsibly, conscientiously and diligently.
We must, above all, exorcise the demons of the past. We have said it before, we will say it again: we need to move away from the syndrome of fear of the other and mutual recrimination – and the latent threat of violence – towards building an inclusive society and a democratic nation based on mutual respect and the free flow of ideas.
We have to make the most of our present if we are to build a country where all Guyanese feel they belong, living side by side, working together to leave a legacy for our children, our grandchildren and generations yet unborn. Only then, will we really have a chance to realise this country’s vast, untapped potential, with all believing that we have a stake and a share in Guyana’s development, to fulfil the promise of our national motto: “One People, One Nation, One Destiny”.
