Politicians urged to behave responsibly against potential opponents

Mar 30, 2025 Letters

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Dear Editor,

In a democracy, every adult citizen has a right to vote and to run for office (if they meet age and other requirements). They also have the right to free speech, to campaign for office. The media also has the right to free speech. Politicking has been defined by the American Supreme Court as ‘free speech’.

Guyanese in the USA have the right to vote, run for office, and of free speech. Just like politicians have the freedom to speak in and outside of parliament, so do members of the public have the same right to speak in public forums. It is wrong, therefore, for supporters or members of any political party or individual to bully and or attack those of any other political party or anyone desiring to seek elective office or to engage in free speech. Violence is not rained on Guyanese involved in peaceful free speech in the USA. I recall vividly that as a student activist during the 1970s, free speech advocates and activists were harassed and beaten by agents of the dictatorship. Students I led in a protest in 1976 and 1977 on the Corentyne were beaten for speaking out against authoritarian rule and denying us the right to freely form associations. Dr. Jagan encouraged us to engage in protests against injustice. Young students, not even of voting age, were accused of being political, and violence was rained on us for protesting.  Dr. Rodney was murdered because of his political activism to win us our freedom to protest and run for office. Dr. Jagan and so many others combated the dictatorship to win us freedom and democracy.

We can’t practice today what we fought against from 1966 to 1992.  It is hypocrisy for politicians to condemn undemocratic acts committed during that era, but are themselves silent today in condemning violent acts of affiliates from another party when they themselves are guilty of the same. All politicians must behave responsibly and distance themselves from the violence of members of their organization, and also not victimize people for political affiliation. Dr. Jagan strongly condemned his opponents who behaved accordingly during the 18 years of his being in opposition.

Attacking people who showed up as the audience for any political or civic meeting is unacceptable. In recent months, there has been a rash of such instances. Several politicians from all sides are to be blamed. All of this does not augur well for the general election campaign expected after August. Every politician and the free media must condemn such acts.

Diversity of voices and political parties is good for any country. In the USA, there are dozens of political parties and hundreds of thousands who pen critiques of the American government. Dozens campaign for an office. Violence is not unleashed on them. They are not intimidated and physically attacked for disagreeable viewpoints. Their supporters are not threatened with losing jobs. I supported several politicians from different parties and was never victimized or threatened with losing my job as an educator.

Guyana is a democracy. I spent some 25 years fighting to restore democracy in our homeland, which came in 1992 and was threatened again in 2020; I was at the forefront battling attempts at rigging the democracy I fought for. Politicians must discourage their supporters from attacking media houses and commentators like me, and stop issuing ad hominem smears against candidates. Supporters of anyone seeking office should never be harmed or threatened with loss of employment. Corruption should not be the only factor that results in the cancellation of visas. ABCE countries should take note of political violence and move to cancel visas of those involved in physical attacks against candidates seeking office and against media houses and commentators.

Those who speak out against wrongdoings, independent voices, even on harmless anodyne issues, including this writer, have often been targeted by thin-skinned politicians of all stripes and parties and by party trolls and paid scribes. This leads to a chilling effect with independent voices and civic society going silent or avoiding topics which they feel will irk politicians, that will result in loss of income. Regrettably, the politicians achieve their aim to silence good, honest critics when credible voices stop writing. Society becomes the loser.

Independent voices must remain strong and not be bullied by politicians or supporters of any party. Similarly, those who seek elective office must be free to campaign regardless of political affiliation or ideology. If an eligible person can’t run for office or campaign, and the media people have to worry about political intimidation when critiquing, then we no longer have a democracy.  Politicians from all parties are urged to behave responsibly.

Yours faithfully,

Vishnu Bisram

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