IT is always best for politicians, especially those who aspire to the summit of national leadership, to refer to their particular country’s history as a guide to its historical evolution as a nation. This excursion into the past will undoubtedly inform their minds as to the challenges that have beset the nation along its travels, and their residual effects on its socio-political dynamics that made for a resolution or otherwise.

No would–be aspirant to executive power should ever ignore his/her country’s historical journey, particularly its lessons as a guide to understanding how his/her country had arrived at its current juncture. These are always there to serve as a warning to avoid errors that predecessors had made; but that depends on whether the would-be aspirant will follow the lessons, thus avoiding the deep pitfalls, or become subsumed by the lust for power which mostly removes the ability to be rational.

Recently, the call has been made from the leader of the political opposition, Bharrat Jagdeo to the PPP/C supporters that, “Though these are Local Government Elections…this is about more that City Hall…this is the beginning of the fight to take back our country…” This is not the first time that such a statement has been made by this former president of the Cooperative Republic. Even though this time, his call has been made within the ambit of the upcoming Local Government Elections, its appeal and meaning are quite clear.

Unequivocally, this statement is not only reckless, and grossly irresponsible; but it is also designed to inflame a society already beset by problems of race and ethnicity. Moreover, it is not helpful to efforts on the part of the government to bring about healing after over two decades of Jagdeo’s administration, which did not contribute any meaningful programme of any kind, to remove the barriers of race, and other inequalities.

We find it even more amusing that he speaks with such boldness, given the fact that his bid for a second term had been nixed by the decisive judicial ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ). It is further instructive to note that Jagdeo had been the chief executive at the time, when the constitution was amended, to stipulate two terms only for any President of Guyana. This was after a national constitution reform process, which recommendations were accepted and the requisite legislative Act to which he assented made it into law.
It is clear that this former leader, now opposition leader, still has not learned from his disastrous period as president of Guyana, much less from this country’s past challenges, during which he had every opportunity to effect historical changes.

This latest example illustrates a leader who is obsessed with power and under whose tenure there were heightened allegations—some not without justification–of racial tensions and conflicts and groups targeted for exclusion based on geography, political association, and identity. Imbalances in budgetary allocations and resources directed to, or taken away from regions where the government under his leadership did not control, were noted.
The narco-economy was allowed to flourish, which Professor Clive Thomas noted represented a significant percentage of the economy. The criminalised state was also coined, because in addition to the narco-economy, corruption was pervasive. Transparency International ranked Guyana the most corrupt Caribbean English-speaking country, a shame and stigma that require much work to remove. During this period, when hundreds of dead bodies were turning up all over the place, Dr Roger Luncheon famously described the carnage as being done by “phantom” squads. Later, it was learnt that the government’s hands were bloody.

Dissent and alternative views were not treated as a right or opportunity to engage or review. There exist several anecdotes: notably among them, is Mrs Jagan who was publicly demeaned for disagreeing with Jagdeo’s policy of withdrawing government advertisements from Stabroek News for its reportage.

Guyana is home to six races, with each having the right to live as Guyanese and be part of the family of nations; and being entitled to be treated equally. They are also part of the process of national development. This means that each race has earned the right to benefit from the national pie in an equal manner–they each have equal claim to Guyana. We the Guyanese people are all its collective owners.