Last week Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs Anil Nandlall told a gathering of lawyers the Constitution of Guyana protects their fundamental rights and freedoms. He was addressing some lecture series on an International Human Rights Law Course. Nandlall is acknowledging to the public what many of us know but the Jagdeo/Ali regime, of which he is part of, continues to ignore or is not being properly advised by him.
The admittance by this lawless regime that the basic rights and freedoms of Guyanese are enshrined in the constitution must not only serve as acceptance of their violation but stir us into action. We must demand from our politicians, particularly the Opposition that has a role in holding the Government accountable, to join with the people to protect and strengthen these rights and freedoms through legislative acts. The legislation must protect the citizens and stridently hold the government accountable, who is after all the principal custodian of the Constitution and Laws of Guyana.
For instance, Article 149 protects persons from being discriminated against on the ground of race, yet this remains one of society’s greatest evils. As we traverse the length and breadth of this nation, one can tell which group (s) of Guyanese are the recipients of the nation’s patrimony, based on the infrastructural development, contracts, disbursement of cash grants, injection of state funding to keep agencies and certain sectors afloat or viable, whilst others are deprived.
A major way to eliminate discrimination is the activation of the Human Rights Commission which is enshrined in the constitution, a major achievement that arose out of the 1999 Constitutional Reform exercise. We must move to have the establishment of an Equal Opportunity Commission that pursues equality and equity, and empowered with the authority to judiciously address complaints. This does not require constitutional reform but political will that is determined to achieve “inclusionary democracy” as outlined in Article 13 of the Constitution, and the aspiration of “One People One Nation One Destiny.”
Guyana does not need constitutional change to start the process to end discrimination. What we need is constitutional compliance and strengthening and developing new legislation. I do not believe any right-thinking Guyanese would be opposed to being governed by another group providing that group is prepared to adhere to social, economic and political justice for all as outlined in the constitution, and practices good governance. The problem is that none of this is happening in the nation. And rather than holding the people who are elected to enforce these principles the constitution becomes the bogeyman.
We are spinning like top in the mud. People are fed up with the growing disparity and increasing discrimination in society. It is cruel and self-serving to have the marginalized believe their lives and future will remain the same unless the government is changed. It is unacceptable. What happens if the government does not change? Must the marginalised accept their continuous suffering and deprivation as fate?
We are moulders of our destiny. We must mould it in a positive manner each day that we live. We cannot continue to wring our hands in hopelessness and hold on to the promise of something in the midst of this wealth, whilst others move at lightning speed to deprive some of us our fair share of the nation’s patrimony. The future is now. The Opposition must act accordingly.
