The recent lawsuits filed by retired High Court judges Brassington Reynolds and Franklin Holder against the Government of Guyana expose the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) relentless campaign to undermine Afro-Guyanese professionals. What should be a straightforward legal obligation—a retroactive salary increase—has become an act of defiance by the state, reinforcing the PPP’s discriminatory agenda.
At its core, the government’s refusal to honor its financial obligations to these retired judges is about power, control, and exclusion. It is a deliberate signal that no matter how qualified or accomplished Afro-Guyanese professionals are, they will always have to fight for what they’re owed.
The PPP government’s systematic refusal to pay these distinguished judges what they’ve rightfully earned is particularly egregious. Despite their pivotal role in upholding the rule of law, Reynolds and Holder are now forced to resort to litigation to secure constitutionally guaranteed pensions and benefits.
This is not an isolated incident but part of a broader pattern where Afro-Guyanese professionals—particularly in the judiciary, academia, and public service—are treated as second-class citizens by the PPP administration. The government’s strategy is clear: undermine, delay, and delegitimize the contributions of Afro-Guyanese professionals while elevating those politically connected to the ruling party.
The Finance Ministry, under Ashni Singh, has become a weapon in this broader strategy of exclusion. By withholding pension funds and salary increases, the PPP sends a clear message: “We control your destiny, and we will starve you out if you’re not one of us.”
This financial stranglehold is a blatant violation of constitutional rights, including equal pay for equal work and the right not to be deprived of property. Moreover, it exemplifies the PPP’s utter disregard for due process and breach of trust towards professionals who have served the country with dignity.
To be clear, this isn’t just about pensions or retroactive pay, it’s about the PPP’s entrenched, discriminatory approach to governance—a government that uses its power to sideline Afro-Guyanese voices in critical institutions at every opportunity. While the PPP preaches inclusion and equality, its actions reveal the truth. When two distinguished Afro-Guyanese judges must sue their own government for what they’re owed, it exposes the PPP’s commitment to equality as nothing but a cruel joke.
This lawsuit is just the beginning. Afro-Guyanese professionals are reaching a breaking point, and a public showdown seems inevitable. If the PPP continues on this path, it will face not only legal challenges but the consequences of being tried before the court of public opinion. All over the world, on display are lessons of civil strife and unlivable environs as a consequence of citizens suffering the wrath of racist and corrupt governments. The PPP government of Guyana refuses to learn from these lessons.
The people of Guyana are watching, and they will not tolerate a government that openly discriminates against its own citizens. The time for justice and equality is long overdue. All Guyanese deserve better than the toxic politics of exclusion that have defined the PPP’s governance.
