The country’s moral crisis deepens

Jun 21, 2023 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – The just concluded local government election is a reminder that the country still faces a grave moral crisis. For supporters of the APNU to have voted for that party in the numbers in which they did sends a signal that democracy is secondary to ethnic interest.

The PNCR, the main party in the APNU has a track-record of rigging elections. In the 2020 general and regional elections, it attempted to benefit from an attempt to rig the elections and in so doing it became a purveyor of false narratives to justify this scandalous attempt. For the APNU to have enjoyed such strong support in its strongholds a mere 3 years after that attempt demonstrates that the country’s moral crisis has deepened. Instead of rejecting the APNU, the party was able to muster strong support in its strongholds.

The integrity of our elections is paramount to the functioning of a democratic society. Elections are supposed to represent the collective will of the people, granting them the power to choose their leaders and through these leaders in shaping the future of our nation. When a political party engages in actions that undermine this sacred process, it not only endangers the foundation of democracy but also undermines the moral fabric of society.

By attempting to benefit from rigged elections, the APNU did a grievous moral wrong against the nation. But that wrong is now compounded by the large numbers which went ahead recently and voted for the APNU despite there being no acts of remorse or retraction of the false narratives which the APNU pedaled about the 2020 general and regional elections.

The act of rigging elections subverts the will of the people, effectively silencing their voices and nullifying their choices. It undermines the trust of citizens in the electoral process, sowing seeds of doubt and cynicism that can take years to rectify. The consequences are far-reaching, eroding the legitimacy of our elected representatives and fostering disillusionment and apathy among the electorate.

Rigging elections or supporting such actions is morally indefensible because it undermines the fundamental principles of fairness, equality, and democratic governance. It suppresses the voice and will of the people and erodes trust in the electoral process.

Rigging elections violates the moral duty to uphold integrity, accountability, and respect for the rights and choices of citizens. It is a betrayal of democratic ideals and undermines the foundation of a just and equitable society.

To vote for a party that has been complicit in rigging elections, despite knowing the extent of their misconduct, is to betray the values that define us as responsible citizens. It compromises the principles of justice, equality, and accountability that we hold dear. By supporting such a party, we not only condone their past actions but also actively participate in the erosion of our democratic ideals.

Moreover, voting for a party complicit in rigging elections ends a dangerous message. It sends a message that the attempt to benefit from rigged elections have been forgiven and that they will be no consequences for those complicit in this attempt.

By rewarding immoral conduct with their votes, citizens inadvertently empower those who seek to manipulate the democratic process for their own gain, further entrenching their positions of power.

Morally, citizens cannot not turn a blind eye to or justify the actions of a party that has engaged in rigging or attempting to benefit from rigging. Citizens’ moral compasses should guide them to vote in a manner that upholds of honesty and fairness.

By choosing to vote for a party that is tainted by the recent stain of electoral manipulation, sends a message that the erosion of democratic principles will be tolerated and excused. Is this the message which our children should be witnessing?

Or should they be seeing expressions of a commitment to fairness, justice, and transparency, signaling to future leaders that citizens will demand nothing less than the highest standards of accountability and ethical conduct.

The just concluded local government elections have set the nation backward. While the ruling PPPC has made multi-racial inroads, these were not significant and were cancelled out by the convincing victories which the APNU enjoyed in its strongholds and generally by the polarized nature of the voting patterns.

June 12^th was another sad day for Guyana. Instead of turning the corner on ethnic voting, the electorate as Guyana seems to have stayed stuck in the past.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaper and its affiliates.)

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• APNU, crisis, deepens, Elections, moral

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