MANY Guyanese, particularly young people, are tired of the social, political, ethnic, and other divisions that continue to impede our country’s progress. Fortunately, President David Granger has repeatedly and passionately expressed his desire for Guyana to move away from the deplorable condition of division, inequality, and exclusion, towards the opposite of that circumstance, that is, the goal of a bright future of unity, social cohesion,

and inclusionary democracy. His sincerity in his mission to work towards that ideal has never been questioned, not even by political opponents. The president’s earnestness must be applauded and his steadfastness of focus is admired, as the goal – though achievable – will not be easily realised.

‘Inclusionary democracy’ is almost self-explanatory; it is simply a state of affairs in which all Guyanese are meaningfully included – and feel fully involved – in the decision-making processes of all tiers of government. The ideal of inclusionary democracy was not invented by President Granger; it is, instead, prescribed and mandated by Article 13 of the

constitution, which states that, “The principal objective of the political system of the State is to establish an inclusionary democracy by providing increasing opportunities for the participation of citizens and their organisations in the management and decision-making processes of the State, with particular emphasis on those areas of decision-making that directly affect their well-being.”

Therefore, because that goal is a constitutional directive, government is lawfully obligated to pursue it. And, on the other side of the coin, any government that does not actively work towards that goal – or, tries to divide or exclude any citizen – is in violation of Guyana’s supreme law – the constitution. One may argue that the last PPP regime under the fist of Bharrat Jagdeo, is guilty of fostering division, promoting inequality, and practising exclusion, contrary to the prescription of Article 13.

President Granger’s commitment was re-stated in his inaugural speech.
Immediately after being sworn into office on May 16, 2015, the president said, “Let us now put past rivalries behind us and work in unity to banish poverty, ignorance, fear and hatred . . . We are convinced that this is the best way to overcome our historic divisions. We have witnessed the damage done to our beautiful country over the past 23 years. We have been mocked by the destruction of local democracy and the denial of local government elections. We have been treated with contempt by the dictatorial prorogation and dissolution of Parliament. We have had to bear the brunt of the high rate of crime including armed robberies, arson, inter-personal violence, murder, piracy, rapes, road fatalities and trafficking in persons. We have had to bear the cost of the squandering of state resources on exorbitant but misconceived mega-projects. We have suffered most from the high cost of living and the high level of unemployment.

“We have not been filled with hatred by these conditions. We are, indeed, more determined than ever to refashion society into one in which our womenfolk can look forward to working for ‘living wages’ to cope with the cost of living; one in which old folk can enjoy adequate pensions and social protection. Our young people will be able to attain higher educational standards and look forward to finding satisfactory jobs when they leave school. Our women and girlchildren can look forward to living in safety and to being protected from abuse and violent crime.

“We the Guyanese people have seized the opportunity to vote for human safety, national unity and inclusionary democracy. We now look to the future.”

President Granger underscored his determination at the 20th Biennial Delegates Congress of the People’s National Congress Reform, on August 17, 2018. His Excellency said, “[We have] done more and gone far further than . . . to create ‘an inclusionary democracy’ – an objective that is explicitly prescribed by the Constitution of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana.

“[We were] instrumental in the establishment of an inclusionary five-party partnership for national unity (APNU) in June 2011. The APNU, in turn, entered into the Cummingsburg Accord in February 2015 with the Alliance For Change (AFC). [We] remain committed: to the multi-party coalition, bound together by the Cummingsburg Accord; to constructive dialogue with the political parliamentary opposition and with civil society to strengthen the practice of ‘inclusionary democracy’; and, to the ideals of coalition politics and to the broader aspiration of national unity.

“Our commitment to the practice of ‘an inclusionary democracy’ has been vindicated, confirming the efficacy and necessity of the unique coalition that we created.

“Our coalition government has brought unquestionable benefits to the Guyanese people in every field. It has allowed for the deployment of broad expertise to the task of nation-building. It has reignited hope and galvanised goodwill to confront the challenges which we inherited in 2015.”

The gains towards inclusionary democracy did not happen “by magic;” the president had unveiled a five-point road map to that objective. The five points are: elimination of extreme poverty, elimination of inequality, promotion of political inclusion, employment and social protection, and equal access to education. President Granger explained that

implementation of the road map would logically result in, “greater integration among groups; fostering a sense of belonging.” That integration or social cohesion is one step towards the realisation of the ultimate goal of inclusionary democracy.

Guyanese youth, and indeed, all citizens may rest assured that the coalition government is committed to inclusion. That commitment has progressed from being a noble idea to a concrete plan, to an implemented programme that continues to yield positive results. It is not the empty promise of a greedy, power-hungry dictator who wants his hands on Guyana’s resources. Instead, it is the sincere goal of a proven leader of unquestioned integrity – David Granger. All Guyanese, including those who will be the leaders of

tomorrow, should safeguard the advances made in the last few years and make sure that Guyana continues to move along the road to unity under the steady hand of proven leadership.