A revelation by Dr Roopnaraine that should scare all Guyanese

Aug 17, 2011 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

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I first used the term, “fascistization” to describe the slow transformation of the PPP Government from routine dictatorship to more frightening forms of tyranny in January 2005. The term “fascistization” portrayed the gradual emergence of fascism in the exercise of power here. Today, I believe, in the scholarly world, it is acceptable to pinpoint fascist behaviour in the Government of Guyana.
It is indeed a tragic moment for the Guyanese population that a regime as mildly autocratic as the Burnham administration from 1973 to 1985 could have been met with an opposition that travelled around the world seeking and having audience with Caricom Prime Ministers and powerful ruling politicians in Canada, the US and the UK to denounce the Burnham junta.
There is no such emulation by the opposition today, even though it is incandescently clear that the Jagdeo presidency far outweighs the tyranny, immoralities and venalities than the Burnham era.
Where are the visits to the US State Department? I know there have been a few by the AFC. Where are the constant requests to see influential Senators? Father Andrew Morrison knew the secretary of Senator Edward Kennedy. Each time, Father dropped in on her, she would tell him, “Your countryman, Dr. Jagan called to make an appointment.”
There are sufficient statistics on the input of racial bigotry in the employment practices of the Government, corruption, politicians’ involvement with the narco-trade and horrible violations in Guyana to put these before CARICOM Prime Ministers.
The PPP, when in opposition, badgered PM James Mitchell of St. Vincent to call even a democratic president like Desmond Hoyte to account for his administration’s excesses. Yet in Guyana, we see nothing like that from the opposition. Is it lack of money? Is it lethargy? CARICOM knows what a volatile polity Guyana is. It knows Guyana is vulnerable to unsettling politics. CARICOM gave us the Herdmanston Accord and the St. Lucia Agreement, yet the integration movement has done nothing to stem the tide of fascism in the Jagdeo presidency. Naturally, we expect our opposition to approach CARICOM.
We come now to a statement from a senior Guyanese statesman that CARICOM leaders need to reflect on. Speaking on television with Christopher Ram, Dr. Rupert Roopnaraine said he has been part of official delegations monitoring elections in several countries, including Zimbabwe.
Here is the horrible, horrific and bestial revelation – Dr. Roopnaraine said that the control of the state media in Guyana makes a dictatorship like Zimbabwe look like child’s play (my paraphrasing).
Do you have any idea what that judgement of Dr. Roopnaraine means? Have the ABC diplomats in Guyana and the Caricom Secretariat heard this statement from Dr. Roopnaraine?
What does it mean? That Guyana is fascist! Zimbabwe is a cruel dictatorship. Zimbabwe is a tyrannical system where ruling politicians are driven by power obsession. Yet the tight control over radio, television or newspapers owned by the state, is not as mean-spirited as we see in this land, according to Dr. Roopnaraine.
Dr. Roopnaraine’s analysis comes back to my 2005 statement about a creeping fascism. It has crept up on us. People have been killed; citizens have been charged with treason and sedition; young girls have been raped; billions have been stolen; power-intoxication is out of control; African marginalization is complete. Now we have the semi-civilized response to torture. A 14-year-old boy had his reproductive parts and the surrounding areas burnt to extract his confession by the police.
News of this horror was flashed all over the world. The Government was disgraced, especially in light of the Home Affairs minister who said he has more important things to do than to answer questions from the press about torture. When pressed at a hearing of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Ms. Gail Teixeira told the questioners that the boy was compensated. He was not. She denied saying that at the UN meeting. The Stabroek News printed the verbatim transcript.
Attorney Khemraj Ramjattan sued the state on the boy’s behalf and won judgement in the sum of US$32,500 (six million, five hundred thousand Guyana dollars). I disagreed with that figure in a previous column. He should have received much more and the Guyanese nation would have agreed. Now the power of fascism has spoken. The Leviathans have appealed that judgement! They want to deny that little boy his six million.
Are the power-possessors in Guyana more savage than in Zimbabwe? I think so. In Zimbabwe, the Government is a dictatorship. In Guyana, the Government is fascist. Fascism is more inhuman!

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