Latest update February 23rd, 2025 1:40 PM

Guyana's largest selling daily and New York's most popular weekly

Latest News

All Guyanese are ready for these long overdue elections

May 20, 2014 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
This beautiful country is in dire need of a shake-up, change, a new image. Government, charged with this trusted and sacred responsibility, and mandate given to them by the people to lead and present Guyana as a striving developing democracy, has convincingly failed.
Constant utterances in large gatherings, on state television and print, of bringing back democracy to Guyana with the PPP’s ascension to power is nothing more than rhetoric and sweet nothings.
How can one have the audacity to chant those words after denying its people and a generation for twenty years from participating in Local Government Elections?
President Ramotar’s interesting response to a question put to him at last Wednesday’s Europe Day, as to why local government elections have not been held, and I quote “as far as local government elections is concerned I cannot be oblivious to the political situation that exists in this country and further I say not”.
What can be interpreted from this cryptic answer? Is it the plausible inference of the President and his government’s desire NOT to call the two-decades-long awaited local government elections?
What “political situation” is his Excellency referring to? Is it the minority control his government has? Is it that the majority of the electorate supported the opposition parties in the last general elections?
To what political situation would he refer (if I do interpret his response correctly), that wants him to deny a generation of young people, his people, from participating in an election, the last of which took place twenty years ago.
Why would our President not want to properly address or say anything else on this most important issue that is attracting the interest of the international community but most importantly, the citizens of this country he pledged to serve,
This sort of inaction and unwelcome approaches to this election bring into question if the unsatisfying desire and irrefutable obsession for power, to control and maintain the executive arm of government, are greater than the interest of the people’s constitutional right to participate and contribute to the shaping of this country’s destiny?
There is undeniably no justifiable or credible reason, no sensible excuse that government can concoct due to whatever “political situation” that exists, for not holding local government elections.
The citizens after two decades are ready, the Guyana Elections Commission is ready, the towns, municipalities, RDCs and NDCs are more than ready. The only people who are not are a handful of people with selfish interests who are holding the Guyanese people, and most importantly, a generation of young people hostage from most critical elections.
The government’s circumlocution around the issue of local government elections is nothing more than a calculated and most callous abrogation of the rule of law and a blatant and very unfortunate assault on our constitutional rights as Guyanese. In the same breath it touts how democratic it is.
All Guyanese, irrespective of race, religion, political affiliation or geographical location, are ready for these long overdue elections.
Jermaine Figueira

Similar Articles

The Glenn Lall Show|| February, 14th, 2025

Follow on Tik Tok @Glennlall

THE BLUNT OF THE DAY

Sports

The Battle for Barbados: One Guyana Racing Stable faces off against top U.S. Trainers for Gold Cup supremacy

The Battle for Barbados: One Guyana Racing Stable faces off against...

Feb 23, 2025

Kaieteur Sports- The battle lines are drawn. One Guyana Racing Stable is here to make history. With the post positions set for the 2025 Sandy Lane Barbados Gold Cup, all eyes are on Guyana’s rising...
Read More
Tyrrell breaks 12-year-old school record to claim SUNYAC-AMCC title

Tyrrell breaks 12-year-old school record to claim...

Feb 23, 2025

Raja Pooran inspires Everest Masters to victory in Costa Rica

Raja Pooran inspires Everest Masters to victory...

Feb 23, 2025

BCB saddened at the passing of the late Lennox Phillips, extends condolences

BCB saddened at the passing of the late Lennox...

Feb 23, 2025

Berbice Cricket Board names 15-man squad to participate in Inter County U15 cricket competition

Berbice Cricket Board names 15-man squad to...

Feb 23, 2025

 Slingerz FC shines at Guyana Energy Conference and Youth Forum

 Slingerz FC shines at Guyana Energy Conference...

Feb 22, 2025

Features/Columnists

  • Crowds, chaos and complaints

    Peeping Tom… Kaieteur News- The folly of the cash grant distribution is a textbook case of what happens when a government,... more

Publisher’s Note

Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.

Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]

Weekend Cartoon

Bridge Watch

Demerara Harbour Bridge

> Berbice Bridge […]