All across the country, the distrust and bitterness that prevailed for decades prior to 1992, when Guyanese warred against fellow Guyanese for the most frivolous reasons drummed up by political powerbrokers and kingmakers, the average Guyanese has been discovering that persons they once hated and distrusted are merely other human beings like themselves, and gradually the negative aspects of interrelation among members of the diverse political factions in the country have evolved into a better understanding and greater endeavour towards working for the common good.

But the human condition predisposes to breeding the odd creature whose egomania and arrogance reject the common good if it necessitates losing control of the dynamics of change in part or whole, thus entire programmes are often derailed because of one cuckoo in the nest.

In a democratic society Mr. Clement Corlette, Regional Chairman of Region 4 (Demerara/Mahaica), has decided that he should be the one defining the parameters of democracy, and his definition precludes freedom of expression, association, and the right of any other elected leader to address the concerns of citizens falling within the landscape of their elected mandate. That is, unless he has “permitted” such activity.

What unmitigated gall!
This gentleman has arrogated to himself the right to eject particular members of media houses, especially the State media, from covering national activities that are constitutionally open to public scrutiny, even if the members of the public desire coverage of the event.

And if he does not get his own way, then he is not above throwing tantrums, and a punch or two.

For Heaven’s sake, in which civilized society is a public official allowed to get away with this public display of boorishness and brutishness, showing absolute unconcern for the interests of the persons whom he was elected to represent?

At a meeting held on 30th April at Yarrowkabra on the Soesdyke/Linden Highway, to deal with community issues in general, but primarily to address the formation of a Community Development Council (CDC) so that the community can better access assistance from Government and donor-sponsored developmental projects and programmes, Corlette, as has become his trademark policy, arrogantly attempted to eject the NCN news team.

At that the members of the community insisted that the news team remain, so Corlette unilaterally decided that it was either the members of the media leave and the meeting would continue; or if the news team stayed, the meeting would be cancelled.

Community members elected to have members of the media remain, at which point Corlette informed the other councillors that he was bringing a halt to the proceedings until further notice and immediately left, followed by the AFC councillor, Mr.Michael Carrington.

However, when he noticed that the PPP councillors, who recognized the imperative of addressing the relevant issues while they had an attentive and co-operative audience, were prepared to disregard his dictates and continue to hold the meeting with the people whom they were elected to represent, he returned and engaged the community in a verbal confrontation, insisting that the meeting be called off, a dictum the members of the community refused.

According to reports, this led to an escalation of the argument between Corlette and the members of the community, which resulted in the latter losing all restraint and physically assaulting a member of the community, all of which was caught on camera.

Is there any mechanism in place to remove such persons, who have become impediments to national development, from holding public office at taxpayers’ expense. If not, then why not?

It is unthinkable that this arrogant attempt at dictatorship, in what is supposed to be a democratic organ, be allowed to prevail, at the expense of the members of the public for whose welfare these bodies were constituted to address, and whose interest should prevail over partisan and self-interest.

The demographics of the Soesdyke/Linden Highway make travel a difficult and expensive proposition, so when residents make the effort to garner their time and resources to convene at an appointed place and time to address concerns relevant to the upgrading of the community, then no arrogant public official should be allowed to unilaterally decide that their concerns are so unimportant that they can be dismissed at will.

The PPP/Civic councillors, who are grounded in the needs of the citizens of this country, recognized this and continued the meeting, to the chagrin of Corlette and the satisfaction of the community.

Public officials need to recognise that they are servants of the people, and not vice versa. If this is not acceptable to them, then they should do the honourable thing and resign; but then honour is a strange and unfamiliar credo to some persons, but one still wonders why an average citizen of the country can be prosecuted for assaulting someone and others seem to be above the law.

One remembers when a hue and a cry was made by Corlette’s Party over an incident involving a Minister of the Government, who did not assault anyone but was instead assaulted. I hope in the interest of justice and fairplay the same interest and attention with respect to adhering to the law of the land is shown by Corlette’s associates in this instance.