THE year 2019 has come to an end. And what a year it has been. From the attempt to overturn the will of the electorate via a conspiracy between a government MP and the opposition to the coming of First Oil, it has been a year of riveting political developments.
When the modern political history is properly written, this year must feature as one of the most consequential. Indeed, long from now, this would be one of the most talked-about year. Yes, the year 2019 was one of challenges and hope for our Guyana.

Most importantly, it could be the last year that Guyana would sit at the bottom of the western hemisphere’s socio-economic ladder. It was the year when the news was littered with reports of new oil finds, fueling hopes of a brighter tomorrow for Guyana and its children. Brought here from far flung lands, these diverse peoples have managed to survive the harsh realities of nature, of slavery, of indentureship, of colonialism, of imperialism and neo-colonialism. At the end of the second decade of the 21st century, we are now poised to begin erasing the curse and stigmas of that long night of human injustice.

It was the year when the Guyanese political system, fragile in many ways, was put to the test and survived the harsh attacks of those who placed party over country. When one man, in a moment of deceit and cowardice, said yes instead of no, the notion of democratic governance was assaulted as never before. But the courts were made to work overtime as the nation watched and waited. From the High Court through the Appeal Court to the newly minted Caribbean Court of Justice, constitutional interpretation was contested in the broad daylight. The courts were cajoled, questioned and even threatened. But in the end, the rule of law prevailed.

It was the year when Guyana tried to mend its broken heart– to borrow from that famous love song made popular by the indomitable Al Green. Those who crave power could not wait on the verdict of the ballot box. They stormed the National Assembly with vengeance at Christmas the year before. Like the marauders of old, they disrespected the season of goodwill. But that was corrected in 2019. The court recommended the marriage of principle with reason, thus restraining itself from sullying the principle of separation of powers.
It was the year of the fight for a clean voters list. One side wanted an old suspect list while the other wanted a new clean register of voters. GECOM was caught in the middle of the two juggernauts as they sought to convince the umpire of the correctness of their appeal. When GECOM embarked on a new House-to-House registration exercise, all hell broke loose. Some threatened a boycott and went to court. GECOM stood tall and strong in the face of the missiles. As we close the year, it seems as if there would be a list that is largely sanitized.

It was also the year when every Tom, Dick and Harilall decided to form his or her own political party. The last count saw eight new parties declaring their intention to contest the 2020 elections. Some have declared this development as a true test of democracy. Others have put it down to frustration with the established parties. Still, others have pointed to the abundance of political egos. Whatever the reason for this flurry of parties, the year 2019 will be remembered for as the year of many parties.

In the final analysis, Guyana survived another year of harsh politics. It seems to be the lot of our country to be caught in this never-ending web of political contention. But as always, there is something in our national character that overpowers the negative vibes and points us in another direction. That may be the true story of 2019. So, farewell to 2019. You will keep the historians busy with lots of food for analysis and thought.