Let this early incident be the last

Jan 06, 2020 Editorial, Features / Columnists

On Sunday, this publication went to the pains of sharing that it will be intensely vigilant and highly intolerant of campaign escapades by any political entity. In fact, it is beyond campaign developments of an unacceptable nature, and covers just about any electoral or politically flavored situation that we believe is unhelpful to a peaceful democratic process.
It might be that somebody decided to test our resolve, or didn’t get time to read the memo, or just did not care as to the temperateness of their actions and its significance to a process that is constructive, appealing, and comforting. Because there are reports by the opposition of thuggery meted out to its supporters, who were traveling through South Georgetown on Saturday.
According to a KN report of Sunday, January 5th, insults and some kind of object or objects were hurled at the vehicle by a few citizens attired in coalition colors. This was corroborated by reports disseminated by the opposition decrying this development. On the face of it, the opposition has to be given the higher ground here. The area is known for being a coalition stronghold and the colors (though too easily replicated) all point a questioning finger at the leadership of the APNU-AFC. At this point, this paper will be content with raising a questioning finger and voice and not tabling anything by way of the accusatory, until the air clears and the facts on the ground emerge in more irrefutable terms.
But at this stage, this much can be said and said unambiguously: this is not good. It is not wholesome, nor contributory to the social ambience needed for an electoral process that is free of controversy and clear of taint. It is very early days yet, and this is happening, or alleged to be happening at the hands of government people. If this is occurring this early, then there can be scant hope that things will not degrade to a dirtier, nastier, more injurious level in the days ahead, which suddenly look long and dreary and grim with the possibilities.
We at this publication do hope that this is an aberration, and that wiser, more sober heads at the leadership center of the coalition-and for that matter, each and every political group, whether contesting in the elections or not-to demonstrate the maturity and responsibility that this particular occasion, this special 2020 elections call for in this time, when great excitement and still greater passions take hold.
The leadership of the coalition, and of every other group, must rise to the challenge of the occasion and temper the traditional surges of their own. Those same leaders must set the tone, walk the line, and brook no departure by those within their fold, who fall foul of what is fair and fulsome. The last thing that is desired at this time is a set of circumstances that takes on a life of its own, with little to no control over ensuing events, and then to be followed by the usual postmortems that lead nowhere and please no one.
Let us all be sensible, let us all be controlled to the ultimate degree, if only to preserve some semblance of sanity and to manifest to the world that we can manage ourselves, we know what is expected, and that we are able to deliver. We are able to deliver through a disciplined approach, through words that compete ferociously, but which leaves room to recognize fellow citizens, while a new and different pathway is traced.
We do not want to be in a place, where all we are doing is probing who did what to whom on the hard, gritty street, or who said what or smeared whom on unforgiving, but convenient, social media. If that is so, then there is no upside for constructive debate, for fluid exchange of points and counterpoints. Truth be told, all that we stare at is a downside with no bottom.
This paper urges the leadership of the coalition to look seriously into this development on Laing Avenue and, if accurate, rein in its more aggressive people. The word must be: not this way. No more of this. This will not be allowed.

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