Dear Editor,
The 56th anniversary of our Republic was intended to be a moment of collective reflection on our sovereignty and democratic maturity. Instead, the flag-raising ceremony at the Public Buildings served as a sobering masterclass in the politics of exclusion. While President Irfaan Ali used his platform to trumpet a “thriving democracy” and the virtues of “One Guyana,” his deliberate refusal to acknowledge the Leader of the Opposition (LOO)—who was physically present despite a disingenuous “disinvitation”—rendered his rhetoric hollow, partisan, and profoundly disappointing.
A national anniversary is not a private party rally; it is a state function financed by the Consolidated Fund. These are taxpayer dollars, harvested from the labor of every Guyanese citizen, regardless of their political allegiance. When the Head of State uses such a platform to ignore the constitutional representative of nearly half the electorate, he is not merely snubbing a rival; he is defacing the office he holds.
The “One Guyana” pitch has officially transitioned from a hopeful vision to a marketing gimmick. Real unity is not a brand to be managed; it is a practice of institutional respect. In other robust Commonwealth democracies—from the United Kingdom to Jamaica—the Leader of the Opposition is recognized as a fundamental pillar of the state. In those jurisdictions, a Prime Minister who fails to accord the LOO basic protocol at a national ceremony would be viewed as an amateur, lacking the temperament for high office.
By retreating into the comfort of partisan tribalism, the President has traded the mantle of a National Leader for that of a Party Follower. He has chosen to entrench an ideology of “us versus them,” signaling to a massive portion of the population that their mandate is “out of line” with his agenda.
History and international law may be on our side regarding our borders, as the President noted, but domestic integrity is rapidly slipping away. You cannot defend a “sacred border” while simultaneously fracturing the internal social contract. A Republic is only as strong as its ability to respect its own laws and its own people—including those who choose to dissent.
It is time for the Executive to realize that “One Guyana” cannot be built on the silence of the Opposition. Until the President finds the fortitude to acknowledge the constitutional realities of this nation, his speeches will continue to ring with the tinny sound of a slogan in search of a statesman.
Respectfully,
Hemdutt Kumar
