Authoritarianism

Apr 30, 2017 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Guyana has a made a significant addition to the theory of authoritarian rule by identifying two routes by which an authoritarian culture can emerge.
The first was through the desire to hold on to power against the will of the people, which led to authoritarian practices i.e. the lack of electoral democracy which became the root of other abuses. But even when free and fair elections were restored, the authoritarian culture reemerged because of the lack of independence of key institutions of the state.
The sources of authoritarianism, using Guyana as an example, lay in a lack of democratic culture. It was based on the desire by persons to be unaccountable to the people by rigging elections. This gave them supreme power to do as they please.
But even after democratic rule was restored, there continued the authoritarian culture. This suggests that the mere holding of free and fair elections is not a guarantee against free and fair elections. The culture of race-based voting contributes to the weakening of the system
But such a situation could only have existed because of the racial divide. It would have been more difficult, but not impossible, for the rigging of elections and the attacks on freedoms and political opponents, were there not significant sections of the population who were still willing to condone undemocratic and authoritarian conduct in order to advance race rule.
The lack of democracy and the nature of race-based politics were therefore contributing factors to the development of an authoritarian culture. But one cannot rule out the impact of political personalities who embodied such undemocratic and authoritarian traits.
The mere holding of free and fair elections is not enough, as we have seen in Guyana, to guarantee the absence of authoritarian rule. If free and fair elections become ethnic censuses, then the risk of falling into the abyss of authoritarianism remains high.
Democracy must be accompanied by the political independence of key institutions of the state such as the courts, public service and the law enforcement arms. It is these institutions which have been used to violate the rights of citizens and to prosecute them politically. It is the politicization of these institutions which are the basis of authoritarian culture.
The Guyana Police Force cannot be said to ever have been a politically neutral body. The public services cannot be said to have been free of political perversion. The courts have come under severe political pressures.
Constitutional reform unfortunately has become bogged down in limiting power, on placing restraints of the exercise of political power, rather than securing the independence of key institutions of the state.
Guyana is in danger of becoming a more authoritarian state because of the attempts which are being made, whether deliberately or not, to undermine the independence of the law enforcement agencies, police, the public service and the judiciary.
The Special Organized Crime Unit (SOCU) is supposed to be fighting organized crime. Instead, it is becoming involved in fighting petty crimes such as the alleged larceny of law books. This is a perversion of its original function of fighting organized crime, including countering money laundering.
This perversion should be reported to the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), because it suggests that instead of going after organized crime, SOCU is more concerned with functions which can be effectively performed by the Criminal Investigation Department of the Guyana Police Force. The actions of SOCU would raise red flags about Guyana’s readiness to independently deal with money laundering.
We have also seen a series of controversies erupt over the appointment of persons within the judicial system, including the conferral of silk on persons sitting on the Bench, an inexcusable act which should have been condemned by the entire society.
The creation of the Special Asset Recovery Unit (SARU) and fact that it operates out of the Ministry of the Presidency is another frightening development, since civil and criminal law enforcement functions are being carried out by politically-appointed persons.
The ingenious interpretation of the provisions of the Constitution relating to the appointment of the Chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission is another dangerous development which can see Guyana further descend into the abyss of authoritarianism.
No great effort is being made to create a more professional public service. Political hacks are being appointed to key positions in the public service. The constant changing of the guard within the public service does not indicate any serious attempt to create an independent institution.
The Americans, the British and the Canadians may feel that there has now been an important democratic change in the country. But unless that change results in independent institutions and less race-based voting, it will have little or no impact on the culture of authoritarianism which is now taking deeper root under the APNU+AFC coalition.

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