Is there no room for decency and honesty in Guyanese politics?

Aug 29, 2012 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Armed with the wealth of the world’s spiritual, religious and cultural traditions and wisdom, why do we now have fire and brimstone yet again in our country (NOC)? Because ignorance and ill-will rule over us.
With the situation in Linden calming down, lo and behold, more terror breaks out in another part of the country. Terror is a constant in Guyanese society. Those instigating it know no peace in their hearts and minds. We have learned to live around terror like sick people, for the psychological effects of living constantly in fear and terror are devastating. This has got to stop.
Terror is not acceptable in Guyanese society. Neither is agitation by creation of terror acceptable in Guyanese society. How we stand up matters. Once again, we cannot fight for peace. It’s an oxymoron. No one who ‘fights’ for peace or their rights can be trusted; for immoral means can never assure moral ends. Creation of terror and use of terror tactics hurt people. Hurting people is never an option.
In this bout of terror, the patterns again are glaringly obvious and very suspect: Terror breaks out. Buildings burn down. Mayhem. PNC demands inquiry. PPP offers counter resistance and delights in the blah blah blah blah: conflict takes root.
Real people-centred development work never happens. Political elite have effectively hijacked the country from its citizens. Politicians accomplish their real goals behind the scenes. Life goes on. Citizens escape scattered to all neighbouring countries destitute, hungry and misplaced as outcasts and refugees. Others learn to live with fear, never finding tranquility and peace in their own backyards. Some of us are murdered. Some die of old age.
This situation is abnormal. It does not happen in any of our neighbouring countries. It does not happen in Barbados, Trinidad or St. Lucia. The only reason that these hellish conditions continue to propagate in Guyana is due to lack of political will to rise above differences to solve problems. There is never a commitment to truth, but a continued commitment to exploit differences.
While the PNC remains stuck in no-man’s land, buried by its burden of immorality, the PPP has really elevated itself. We have clearly transcended racism under the PPP. What we have witnessed is the emergence of professional politicians: the purchase of allegiance. People are selling themselves. The higher the contract price, the lesser the morality; the lesser the individual conviction, the greater the depravity and the greed, the better the charlatan performance.
Situations like the one at NOC must not recur in this country. Children must not experience these lows, directly or indirectly. As long as there is a stand-off between PPP and PNC, there will never be any truth forthcoming. No one will ever know the truth about any situation, no matter how many inquiries are demanded. We have to import truth into our country via truth consultants. This is the role of international observers and consultants – to tell us who is lying and who is being truthful.
Is there no room for decency and honesty in Guyanese politics? Is violence and loss of life fun and games to our politicians? This clearly is the case. While conflict is beneficial to politicians, it is not serving the needs of the people of Guyana. Open conflict has to end. This is what peace means: the absence of conflict. This transformation in the country is not going to happen without a radical change in the political landscape.
We have reached another all-time low in the country – where the political elite are morally and spiritually bankrupt without the capacity for leadership or for problem-solving. Both the major opposition and the government are, at different times, ambassadors of violence against the people of this country. We now know twice over that power corrupts and that absolute power corrupts absolutely. I am welcoming the new brand of leadership guided by ethical principles with respect for wisdom and for self and other.
As we move forward, for all the pain, we cannot harbour hatred, animosity or resentment in our hearts, for this destabilizes us and poisons our intentions. Why should the evil actions of others poison our minds and hearts? No, we must remain at ease, a peace of mind earned on a basis of ethical conduct. Our challenge is to navigate intelligently. Our intention is not to unseat politicians and parliamentarians and install ourselves, but to uplift every citizen and guest and build the entire nation. This is not an easy task, but with every day, the contrast between what we want and what we have becomes clearer, and with every conflict, our abilities to problem solve are enhanced and the source of problems become more apparent.
Let us envisage of a gentle future of peace, prosperity and productivity. If we dream it, think it, want it, work for it, with patience and confidence in our own good human nature, it will emerge.
Sandra Khan

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