IT’s now six days since the Guyanese people cast their votes to determine who would govern the country over the next five years. Since then we have had an abject lesson on how to frustrate the will of the people. As it became obvious that the coalition would be returned to power, the PPP in consort with its allies in the media and civil society went into top gear to prevent President David Granger and his coalition from taking office.
It is noteworthy how sections of the local media and other supposedly non-partisan organisations have turned a blind eye to the naked bullying, threat of extreme violence and actual acts of violence by the PPP. Yet these very agencies have joined the PPP in a blatant attack on the person of the president and the office itself.
One of our sister newspapers went overboard in that regard. In a front-page comment in its Friday, March 6 edition, it proclaimed the PPP’s narrative of rigged elections and used the occasion to personalise the attacks on the President. He was accused of having no respect for the law and of standing to benefit from the so-called fraudulent election. Here is part of that nasty front page comment: “Throughout his tenure in office, President Granger has presented himself as beyond reproach while flagrantly breaching the constitution of the Republic of Guyana in a selfish bid to remain in power to empower him and his constituency.”
That quotation tells the story of a brazen campaign aimed at inciting public resentment of the president with the distinct intention of delegitimising his entire tenure in office. This publication has on more than one occasion had to correct that narrative and put in perspective the unblemished record of the president and his government as far as the rule of law and the constitution is concerned. The record speaks for itself, but these destructive forces are bent on fanning the flames of discord and division that could only lead to mindless violence.
That front page comment completely ignores the fact that PPP gunmen invaded the GECOM building and that the PPP has done everything in its power to take over the GECOM operations. They call for verification while ignoring the fact that the SOPs which the PPP is holding up as the instruments of accuracy are riddled with inaccuracies. They ignore the fact that the actions of the PPP are aimed at intimidating an entire country and put us on a path of dangerous collision.
In fact, on the very day of that newspaper comment, there were several protests across the country with the outcome in some instances crossing the line that demarcates peaceful protest from intentional violent excursions. Police officers were physically attacked, innocent citizens were abused, and similarly attacked and public property was destroyed. Public protest is a constitutional right that must be preserved, but when it is used to further narrow partisan ends, it loses its legitimacy. The ethnic insults and hatred that emanated from some of those protests shake the very foundation of our multi-racial society.
It is not out of place to make the linkage between the rhetoric of the PPP and those emanating from some media houses, such as the one cited above and the kind of public performances we saw in some communities. We are being very careful not to condemn the communities as it is reasonable to understand how many citizens have been duped into believing the rhetoric that is being fed to them. The manipulation of the emotions of our citizens has long been a tool in the hands of gutless politicians.
Elections have always been times of stress and strife for our nation. We are yet to find a way to compete in harmony. Perhaps there is too much at stake. But that by itself cannot excuse the venom and hate that are planted in the consciousness of the Guyanese people. Those who traffic in that kind of politics do not deserve to occupy the seat of government. Further, those media outfits which act as cheerleaders for those backward forces are letting down the profession and betraying the public trust in them as upstanding umpires. Perhaps it is asking too much, but it must be asked. Can we tone down the campaign of discord and hate?
Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_3-8-2020