Dear Editor,
From the age of Independence, we were told that “Youths are the Future” which signified that young people must be kept in the vanguard of national development. Over the years, we have seen waning involvement of youth at the political level. It appears that national leaders are only interested in courting the youth to vote during elections and not providing social, political, and economic equity for a voting population that’s mostly under the age of 40.
The recently concluded process of electing two youths to sit on the Rights of the Child Commission is an example of the state entities’ willingness to suppress the voices of our young people. The governing party, through a younger cadre has become the light bearers of undemocratic and oppressive behaviours. Attempts by the Personal Assistant to the Minister of Parliamentary affairs and the Director of Youth from the Ministry of Youth, Sports and Culture to circumvent the constitutional process of selecting youths to the National Commission on the Rights of the Child has been inexcusable.
Each organization, after given 29 days to submit a nominee, a deadline after which these nominees are to be submitted to the Parliamentary Committee of Appointments. It is mind boggling that given sufficient time these despots were attempting to shoo in a “last-minute candidate” past the deadline and to subvert the democratic process. Thankfully, the committee members, including yours truly, stood steadfast to the democratic process against the unprincipled. As a result, the Director of Youth, out of jurisdiction, published a letter prior to the elections requesting my disqualification from voting under the grounds that the President’s Youth Award Republic of Guyana (PYARG) falls under the department of Youth and me not being “sanctioned” to vote.
Albeit the Executive Officer of the program, who was the only member legally consulted to participate on the cluster, is an earnest and respectful leader, who used his authority to select me as an alternate on the cluster due to my dedication and support provided to the program over the years. The Director of Youth needs to emulate the Executive Officer’s adherence to democratic principles and understand his struggle to support the program with limited government resources. The Director of Youth in circumventing the process is setting a poor example to the nation’s youth that if they cannot please party agendas then it must dictate an undemocratic and intrusive approach to achieve the goal of being loyal.
I do not personally know the Director of Youth, but this behaviour warrants a disregard of duty, and the integrity of his position should be called into question. The effort of the cluster leader, Mr. Clayon Halley, must be commended for his tenacity given the numerous obstacles placed before him unwillingly by the state’s young cadre attempts to disrupt the constitutional process. The voice of the youth will never be silenced, Aluta Continua! (The struggle continues).
Sincerely,
Collin Haynes MPH MBA
