IT was Peter Hook who opined: “Any coalition, especially where one party is more powerful than the other, it’s always bound to have a pecking order.”

Hence, with that in mind, at least for now, I wish to put aside some minor blunders made by the APNU/AFC government, and some unnecessary mistakes – as is expected with any government, more so one that is comprised of several political parties in the form of a coalition. I wish to address something that is very close to my heart–human rights issues and how citizens ought to be treated by governments.

With that in mind, let me make this point pellucidly clear for all: it is imperative for citizens to understand that no country can flourish without having high expectations of its government. In that regard, and, as is required under all circumstances, the buck stops with the President, in order to ensure that all citizens enjoy their freedoms.

In fact, such rights ought not to be limited to the privileged or those who often times, unfortunately, seek to separate themselves from the ordinary masses. In other words, the government is expected to treat everyone with the same respect, regardless of social status, political affiliations, sexual orientation, or other bases which are enshrined in the Constitution, by the following provision: CHAPTER III FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OF THE INDIVIDUAL 40. (1) “Every person in Guyana is entitled to the basic right to a happy, creative and productive life, free from hunger, disease, ignorance and want.

That right includes the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual, that is to say, the right, whatever his race, place of origin, political opinions, colour, creed or sex, but subject to respect for the rights and freedoms of others and for the public interest, to each and all of the following, namely –– (a) life, liberty, security of the person and the protection of the law. (b) freedom of conscience, of expression and of assembly and association; and (c) protection for the privacy of his home and other property and from deprivation of property without compensation.

So, what’s the point in all of this talk about respect of human rights, and government’s role? Quite simple: It is safe to say that any government that shows respect for citizens’ rights and adheres to the rule of law, in the minds of most citizens, provides the basis for a perfect recipe for nation building, confidence in the people, foreign investment, true democracy, and more likely, the possible longevity of the government.

Meaning, that citizens would see the necessity in ensuring that such a government is voted back into office. This brings me to a very important point, which needs to be exposed as often as possible – that is, the pre-2015 governments which closely resembled the operations of Al Capone’s notorious gang, the infamous drug lord Pablo Escobar, and the Apartheid system in South Africa. Of course, you would know that I am referring to the horrible, unforgiving, and unforgettable dreadful years of the PPP regime.

Touching on the last fifteen years of its tightly-gripped and iron-fisted control of the government, which led to a country that was damaged in every facet of life, with civil servants being demoralised, police force/army/prison services being highly politicised, judiciary being infested with numerous rotten eddoes on the bench, media houses and journalists being intimidated, a columnist being attacked with faeces thrown in his face by known PPP thugs, protesters being beaten, shot, locked up and killed for exercising their democratic rights, et cetera. All of those things, and more, were allowed to flourish, allegedly condoned by the then government, and in many cases by some very senior and extremely powerful government officials who were said to be complicit in underworld activities and more.

Surely, who comes to mind was a sitting government minister who according to documents that are still sitting in a US court, with allegations that less attention was paid in conducting the affairs of his ministry, and instead, is being accused of accommodating the notorious Phantom killing squad to import a highly sophisticated laptop computer capable of tracking citizens’ location via their phones, with nefarious intents. As expected, the political culprit in this instance, has maintained his innocence, and continues to pretend to be an angel wrapped in a holy white sheet, while masquerading himself as a saviour of the health and agriculture sectors across the country – the very ministries which became highly corrupt, and were reduced to the most deplorable conditions under his watch. I will deal with this particular issue and individual in a subsequent column, where folks will be reminded of scores of persons dying under questionable circumstances while they were patients at the Georgetown Public Hospital, and the many protests across the country by rice farmers and sugar workers.

Let us focus on the PPP’s track record – a government that showed absolutely no ‘kina’ when it comes to crimes and, particularly, its human rights record. Anyone without blinkers would conclude that the PPP has shown utter contempt, disdain, and blatant disregard for the rule of law, the constitution, and the respect of human rights for 95% of Guyanese. Simply put, were I a political science lecturer at the University of Guyana, I would have given the PPP an F grade. Mind you, the word ‘kina’ in this context, is not referred to the monetary definition, as it is widely known in Papua New Guinea.

But rather, the Corentyne meaning of someone who has absolutely no discretion in doing, or eating whatever, regardless of the consequences. Indeed, it is an appropriate description of how those in the higher echelons of the PPP regime conducted the affairs of the government. Surely, citizens can recount those dark and brutal years under Presidents Jagdeo and Ramotar, especially under the former, who operated as though the entire Guyana was his plantation handed down to him from his great grandparents who left it in a will, and the people were his slaves and indentured servants. Citizens were reduced to second class citizens. Apart from his (Jagdeo’s) well documented dictatorial tendencies, it could also be attributed to his obvious thirst for political power and control of Guyana’s wealth.

Or, possibly other psychological issues, of which I am not in a position to diagnose. After all, I’m no psychiatrist. However, with his government’s horrible human rights record, with the murders of approximately 1,500 citizens, many through extrajudicial means, death squads, or gang/drug related wars –– not to forget those who were assassinated (Minister Sash Sawh, Activists Ronald Waddel, and Courtney Crum-Ewing), the many who were killed during protests, dozens shot and locked up for exercising the constitutional rights to freedom to assemble/protest, trumped-up charges against political opponents, jailing of scores of opponents, removal of ads from newspapers, banning of a journalist from entering the Office of the President or State House, etc –– it is safe to say that Guyana was one of the most undemocratic, and dangerous countries in the world.

Having said that, I now will conclude by quickly examining the APNU/AFC coalition government’s track record on Human Rights issues since its one seat victory in 2015. At least now, blood is not running through the streets like water, people are not being killed for their political views nor jailed on trumped up charges, protesters can protest without being shot, killed or locked up (including Jagdeo and others who denied citizens that very right). Nor, do we have a President who condones criminal misconduct, or is in bed with drug lords, gun-smugglers, human traffickers, death squad members, nor treat citizens like slaves or indentured servants. In fact, from such an impeccable record thus far on Human Rights, any objective and fair-minded lecturer at UG, or even Critchlow Labour College, would give the David Granger coalition government an A+ grade. It is for this very reason (minus the other minor glitches by some ministers and heads of agencies) I say without any hesitation that, I respect the government’s record on Human Rights. Yes, Guyana can now breathe again.