FOLLOWING the ruling by the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) that the December 2018 No- Confidence Motion was properly passed, the PPP commenced a series of protest demonstrations across the country.

The party contended that the government was illegal and that it should call elections forthwith. The government countered that reasoning by correctly arguing that it could not call elections until it was advised by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) that it was ready for such an exercise. When GECOM indicated that it would be ready by the end of February 2020, President David Granger promptly named and proclaimed March 2, 2020 as the elections date.

The PPP, then, accepted that date as legitimate and went into election mode. One assumed that this was a signal that the party had moved on. Lo and behold, when President Granger and other invited guests turned up for the Saraswati Vidya Niketan’s Secondary School’s graduation ceremony at Cornelia Ida last Sunday, they were greeted by yet another unruly PPP demonstration.

What is the point of continuing these demonstrations? If the previous ones were aimed at expressing the PPP’s frustration at the government’s reliance on GECOM’s readiness for elections, then that should have been resolved with the naming of the elections date. Continuing with the protest demonstrations, then, suggests more than meet the eye. After what transpired at the Saraswati Vidya Niketan’s Secondary School’s graduation ceremony, it should be clear to Guyana that the PPP is bent on provoking confrontation with the police and, by extension, the government.

In the first place, the President seems to be personally targeted by the PPP for these aggressive demonstrations. That has to be cause for concern. Despite the PPP’s narratives to the contrary, the President is still the duly-elected Head of State and should be treated as such. These menacing demonstrations are clearly aimed at intimidating and provoking the President. Such behaviour by the protestors could lead to unfortunate outcomes, which would not be in the best interest of our country.

The PPP is obviously stung by the fact that observers have credited this government with a clean human rights record including its protection of civil liberties. It has been observed that such a record is in contrast to that of the PPP, whose performance in this area left a lot to be desired. Others have praised the government and the police for the restraint they have shown in the face of blatant provocation by the PPP. Many recall the shameful intimidatory tactics employed by the PPP at the Pegasus Hotel a few weeks ago.

The PPP was also obviously enraged that the principal of the school had the courage to withstand pressures and invite the President. It is well known that he is not a friend of the government, but he recognises that Mr. Granger is President of all of Guyana and should have access to all communities. For taking such a stand, Swami Askarananda should be saluted. And President Granger should be applauded for accepting the invitation—he continues to act with the grace and dignity that his office demands.

This publication again commends the police and the government for their restraint. The right to protest against government is a sacred one that should be upheld in any functioning democracy. But we hasten to add that that right must be exercised within the boundaries of the law. The right of government functionaries to go about their personal and official business must also be respected. There must be a balance between freedom and order.

It is against this background that we condemn the behaviour at Cornelia Ida on Sunday—it was unnecessary. The sight of children being used as political props by the PPP was sickening. Further, the attempts to draw the police into retaliation were clear for all to see. The PPP has crossed the line. The reports in sections of the media that the police had intimidated the protestors played into the PPP’s script. It is obvious that they wanted the police to react in that manner.

The PPP is playing a very dangerous game. It craves confrontation. It is setting the party’s supporters up as collateral damage in its quest for political mileage to be used to maintain the support of its constituents. Given our fragile political environment, provocation can quickly escalate into unintended outcomes. We, therefore, call on the party’s leadership to let reason prevail. If the party must protest, let it be done in a manner that does not border on provocation. Guyana can ill-afford a political inferno.