Amidst some degree of tension and anxiety, which crept in during the anxious awaiting of the results of the elections, the presidential candidates yesterday made an excellent gesture in making a collective public appeal for calm and peace, and committing themselves towards accepting the election results to be announced today by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
It is hoped that these seemingly genuine and sincere pledges by PPP/C’s Donald Ramotar, APNU’s David Granger, AFC’s Khemraj Ramjattan and TUF’s Peter Persaud would not be reneged upon.
Instead, it would be hoped that such fine statesmanship, demonstrated yesterday by the political leaders, would become the norm in our society rather than the exception; because, as one political leader noted, peace is essential to the sustenance of democracy and progress.
It is also hoped that we would take careful heed of the lessons learnt from these elections, and that they will become instructive in our future elections.
One of the notable positives of these elections is that all the international observer teams expressed their satisfaction with the way our elections were held, albeit they also identified a few weaknesses of the electoral process, and in this regard, made recommendations of how these could be addressed.
With the elections dust almost settled, we must move with alacrity and in unison to help accelerate the socio-economic development of our beloved country, by building on the solid foundation which has been laid in recent years.
The vast potential in natural resources and human innovativeness which we possess must be unlocked, so that we and the future generations can all have a better life, which is characterised by peace, progress and prosperity.
Regardless of which political party we voted for, we – as Guyanese – must not make the folly of seeing ourselves victors and losers. Instead, we must all see ourselves as winners, because, together, we have ensured that another step has been overcome in ensuring and sustaining our young democracy.
It is a democracy that fructified as a result of a long, hard and relentless struggle, which saw tremendous sacrifices, in several cases the ultimate one.
It is a democracy we all cherish, and therefore we must never act or behave in a manner that would have it compromised.
As the GECOM Chairman assured yesterday, the elections’ results have not been compromised in any way.
“At the outset, please allow me to state categorically that the elections’ results have not been compromised in any way, shape or form whatsoever,” Surujbally declared.
“This GECOM  A-Team of seasoned and battle tested professionals have carried out a successful Elections,” he boasted.
Accordingly, I call on all concerned to accept the Official results of the Elections, when they are declared by the Chief Election Officer, as the accurate reflection of how the electorate voted.”
“Having made that absolutely clear, it is essential that I call on the Leaders of all of the political parties which contested the elections, as well as the people of Guyana, to exercise restraint throughout the post-election processes to ensure that they are carried out in a peaceful and secure environment,” Surujbally said.
“Please do not involve yourself, nor contribute or promote anything that could generate strife in our normally peaceful society…,” Surujbally said.
He insisted that Guyana, not now or ever, should be taken into a state of anarchy.
This country can ill afford anything short of outright peace and security for the duration of the next government, regardless of who is in power and how that government is constituted.
If there were ever a time for the competing factions – the political parties – to publicly draw a line between what is justifiable disagreement within the boundaries of the constitution and Laws of Guyana, and what is clearly criminal action and leagues outside of the ambit of the Law, that time is now.
Yesterday’s appeal by the political leaders of the contesting parties was as good a start as any.
Let peace and calm prevail in the nation.
When the new President and his Cabinet assumes the mantle of government, it would be useful if they use that impassioned and brilliant speech of the great Martin Luther King (junior), “I have a dream”, as a guide and inspiration in serving the Guyanese people, who elected them to govern and lead this country to greater heights:
“Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends. And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream…I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.”