Nip it in the bud!

Aug 29, 2025 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

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Kaieteur News – The eve of national elections should be a moment when democracy asserts itself through peaceful campaigning, respectful debate, and the free expression of political opinion. Instead, troubling incidents have emerged that threaten to stain this period with intimidation and violence. The police, entrusted with upholding law and order, now face a test. Will they act swiftly and decisively to enforce the law, or will they once again allow lawlessness to fester and grow?

The first incident involved PPPC activists distributing flyers. These citizens, exercising their democratic right to campaign peacefully, were chased, assaulted, and forced to flee. This was not a clash between rival groups. It was a calculated act of intimidation. The activists were attacked simply for expressing, by distributing flyers, their political beliefs.

And yet, despite video evidence, the police have so far failed to arrest or charge anyone. This inaction is dangerous. When authorities turn a blind eye to violence, they are not merely ignoring it; they are permitting it.

History has already shown us where such failures lead. Recall the Mon Repos tragedy a few years ago, when innocent market vendors were set upon, beaten, and robbed. At the time, strong words followed. Government officials promised serious charges. But no one was ever brought before the courts for the beating and robbing of those vendors, despite video evidence of those responsible.

That miscarriage of justice sent a chilling message that violence, if politically convenient, can go unpunished. On April 28th, the country reaped the bitter fruit of that negligence.

A failure to prosecute the Mon Repos attackers paved the way for the April 28th disturbances. Yes, tensions were high that day following the post-mortem of a drowned child. But it was the looting, the rampage, and the unchecked violence that revealed the deeper problem that when the State does not uphold the law, lawlessness becomes inevitable.

The lesson was clear. When those in authority fail to act, they embolden the very elements who thrive on violence.

Now, once again, we are at a crossroads. There is indisputable evidence—on video—of peaceful activists being attacked. To ignore it would be reckless. In every democracy, the rule of law must stand above the interests of any political party or group. The police must not pacify the situation by pretending it will go away. Violence does not evaporate when ignored; it spreads. The men who assaulted activists must be identified, arrested, charged, and prosecuted with the full weight of the law. Justice delayed, in this case, is not just justice denied; it is an open invitation to further chaos.

The second incident is equally troubling. Persons dressed in the colours of the APNU were seen harassing a citizen for flying a PPPC flag on his own property. This was not a debate or even a heated argument; it was thuggery. One of the aggressors snatched the man’s PPPC cap and struck him with it and then threw the cap away in the drain. This is a brazen violation of the man’s right to political expression and a clear act of assault. The evidence is undeniable, and the law is clear. That individual must be arrested and brought before the courts without delay.

Zero tolerance must be the principle. The police cannot cherry-pick which crimes to prosecute based on political sensitivity. Violence is violence, intimidation is intimidation, and assault is assault. If one group can be attacked today without consequence, then tomorrow it will be another group. And soon enough, the cycle of violence will engulf us all.

The role of the police in this moment is not simply to respond but to deter. Arrests and prosecutions are not just about punishing the guilty; they send a powerful message to would-be aggressors that political violence will not be tolerated. The law is the great equalizer, and unless it is applied without fear or favour, our democracy itself is at risk.

Every election season brings heightened passions. But passion must never become an excuse for violence. Campaigns should be won on the strength of ideas, not the intimidation of opponents. Citizens must feel free to display their party colours, distribute flyers, or host meetings without fear of assault. Anything less is not democracy but mob rule.

The police must therefore act, and act now. They must use the video evidence to identify the culprits in both incidents, apprehend them, and place them before the courts. They must demonstrate that in Guyana, the right to campaign peacefully is protected by law, and those who seek to undermine it will face justice.

If the authorities choose instead to ignore these acts, they will be complicit in whatever follows. The failure to act after Mon Repos led directly to further disturbances. The failure to act now will invite even greater violence on election day and beyond. We cannot afford to repeat the same mistakes.

The message must be unambiguous: those who engage in violence, no matter their political affiliation, will face the full consequence of their actions. Only then can Guyana move forward in confidence that its democracy is not held hostage by thugs, but protected by justice.

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

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• Elections, Peeping Tom, PPPC activists

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