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By Lincoln Lewis
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) on August 2 declared the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) winner of the 2020 Election after a prolonged period of determining who was the victor. In the five-month period there were the storming of GECOM headquarters in the Ashmin’s building by allies of the PPP/C, violent protests in Bath Settlement and Cotton Tree on the West Coast of Berbice (WCB) and Lusignan on the East Coast Demerara (ECD), some of which resulted in deaths and injuries. School children who were travelling in their school buses were attacked and physically injured, many of whom may carry psychological scars for the rest of their lives.
The country having gone through months of anguish, when President Irfaan Ali was sworn in and committed to be a president for all, some felt relief. The optimists looked forward to the newly elected government working with others to unite and develop the country for all. Hopes were soon dashed when among the first things the government did was to engage in widespread firing of workers, many of whom characters are being dragged through the mud without credible evidence.
There is widespread witch-hunting, discrimination, and recrimination, particularly targeting another major ethnic group. Persons have not only been wantonly fired but the government is doing this accompanied by a dirty public relations campaign to deceive and malign. The aim is to defile persons’ character in the court of public opinion, that even if the court finds them not guilty, the objective to make these persons out as criminal and persona non grata would have been achieved.
Internationally, Guyana became a pawn of the United States (U.S). A compliant President has lent support to the Donald Trump administration to interfere into the internal affairs of Venezuela to oust the Nicolás Maduro government and install the U.S’ choice, Opposition Leader Juan Guaidó. A party that campaigned to renegotiate the oil deals shows no interest in doing so. They are buckling to overseas influence as seen with the signing of the Payara deal shortly after the visit of the U.S Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo.
There continues to be failure in managing the global pandemic, though when in opposition the government condemned the response of the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) Coalition Government. Guyana’s first recorded case and death was March. When the coalition handed over the reins on August 2, five months after, there were 474 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 21 deaths. As of November 9, there were 4524 confirmed cases and 135 deaths. In 100-days, less than five months, there were 114 deaths and 4050 confirmed cases.
Fellow Guyanese are hounded off state-occupied lands through flooding, with no regard for financial loss, public health risks and humanitarian management. The flooding of lands in Success, ECD was preceded by the flooding of Non-Pariel by a previous PPP/C administration to remove persons off the lands. Outside of the colonial masters, who in the immediate post slavery society, flooded the lands of freed Africans to undermine their economic viability, there has never been such cruelty.
Guyana continues to be socially, economically and politically divided. Billions, from the Treasury, have been pumped into resuscitating the beleaguered Guyana Sugar Corporation (GuySuCo) as other industries, such as bauxite, are ignored. Where the Government says it makes no apology for looking after the socio-economic welfare of sugar workers and their communities there has been no similar interest for bauxite workers and essential workers such as nurses, teachers, and the disciplined services.
Determined to place its stamp on society, the government has disbanded guardrails of democracy such as the anti-corruption State Asset Recovery Agency (SARA) and drug fighting, National Anti-Narcotic Agency (NANA). In 100 days Guyana had three major drug busts, one of which is said to have a street value of €900 million, the largest in the history of the world. Police brutality has returned in fervour. Guns and bullets are directed to protestors as seen in Hope Town and Belladrum WCB and Success, ECD. Fear has returned and people are beginning to feel that to get by it is better to be silent than speak their minds.
There continues to be a refusal to engage the Leader of the Opposition, on behalf of his constituents. This is a constitutional entity, and the level of high handedness clearly shows democracy and embracing of others are the farthest thing from the government’s mind. They are preoccupied with winner-takes-all despite the political system being designed for the participation of all. There is an effort to undermine the major opposition in favour of an amalgamation of four small parties that only have one seat, which makes a mockery of the parliamentary system. This unprecedented approach to governance has never occurred in the history of Guyana. It appears another major ethnic group is being placed under duress.
There has been abuse or complicity of the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in desecrating the judicial system. Cases of present public officials were dropped instead of allowing the judicial process to take its course, evident with charges against Attorney General Anil Nandlall and President Ali. The government has also sought to make a case out of a none-case by charging GECOM officials. Even though charged no evidence has been produced, which is an act of harassment.
It appears they are creating a narrative in the event of another election, by seeking to give the impression the former government, now opposition, was engaged in irregularities even though there is no evidence to that. GECOM officials who were held by the police, had their rights violated to appease the political directorate. What they are doing is creating disrespect for institutions of democracy and that these can only be trusted in their hands or the hands of people who they appoint. They have taken over all the institutions of good governance. In 100-days the government has created a lot of angst and fear.
The hate crimes that resulted in the gruesome murder of teenagers Isaiah and Joel Henry, and the subsequent murder of another teenager, Haresh Singh, still haunt. The government is dilly dallying in ensuring justice for these teenagers. So far, they have not approved the requested US$40,000.00 by the Guyana Human Rights Association to bring in superior investigators from Argentina. They have done nothing to quell the tension and heal psychological wounds.
In the midst of societal breakdown, the diplomatic community has gone silent. Their aggression during the election has disappeared as bad governance, increased crime, police brutality and dismantling the guardrails of democracy are happening often. The silence serves as validation to many that the interest of the diplomatic community was to secure our oil, gas, and other natural resources by ensuring a compliant government. That being achieved, there seems to be no other interest for good governance and respect of basic rights which are pillars of democracy in their societies.
Guyana is a divided nation whose rawness was shown during the election. There seems to be no interest or desire by the government to defuse the anger and acrimony between and among groups. Though President Ali started on a high note, promising to unite the country, it is evident within the 100 days (August 2-November 10) his administration is determined to do otherwise.
