Dear editor,
Sometimes the dependable Oxford dictionary fails to define the true meaning. Sometimes the reliable encyclopaedia fails to capture the true picture. The dishonourable politicians, without fail, would speak of it like if the electoral process breaths it life. The anencephalic followers, lacking skills of discernment, would swallow it, hook, line and sinker, without any critical analysis. Like cows to the slaughter house, they blindly follow, making the COVID-19 infested streets their beds. Their only protection is their deluded minds, which falsely empowers them to foolishly believe that they are the last GOD (Guardians of Democracy).
And as I look on from a distance, I would frequently ask myself, what are they really guarding? For it is a known that democracy is not tangible. It is not physical. Surely, it does not reside in those boxes as those brainless attention seekers were misguided to believe. For democracy is a quadruplet process which is rebirth via the electoral machinery. And these quadruplets are inseparable, albeit not conjoint. Their names are universally known as, elections, human rights, rule of law and participation of citizens in politics and civic life. For unless, I’m shown otherwise, I would maintain my strongly-held view, that in those boxes just reside papers and X’s, but sadly not the aforementioned quadruplet. As a result, I struggle to accept the argument that the boxes need protection by these political nomads who shelter under the umbrella of Guardians of Democracy. What is desperately crying out for protection resides outside those boxes.

For the winners of these elections, APNU+AFC would be challenged with the unenviable task of keeping the fragile and fastidious democracy alive. For we know that democracy is a living framework that requires essential vitamins, A, B and C for the sustenance. These critical vitamins are easily available but are not always easily accessed by the governments of the day, as we painfully experienced in those 23 years. The first of such essential vitamins is Vitamin A, which is known universally as “freedom of assembly and speech.” This vitamin is critical for maintenance of the pulses of democracy. Deficiency of this vitamin is manifested by innocent citizens being imprisoned for trumped-up charges of treason, many gunned down for peaceful protest, hundreds murdered, victimisation, discrimination and political harassment to name a few. If as you peruse this missive, these symptoms appear painfully familiar is because we lived through them for 23 years under PPP. Where was Roy Beepat? Where was Gerry Gouveia and his PSC gang? Where was the Bar Association?

Democracy is not just a political contest of numbers. 51 per cent and we are forever labelled democratic. I sincerely hope not. For therein lies an underestimated cancerous symptom of deficiency of this second vitamin. It is without doubt that the Western type democracy we inherited, recognises that elections should be based on issues and only issues. For these issues guided elections can be considered the essential vitamin B required for the physiological development of democracy. For these issues-guided elections foster inclusiveness and equality. The unfortunate reality is that when politicians reduce themselves to the numbers game politics, making race the focal point of the elections and in so doing pander to race, then this will result in disastrous consequences.

It is patently obvious that in the period 1992-2011, PPP enjoyed a numerical advantage in electors. As a result of this numerical superiority, they benefitted from five consecutive election wins which were achieved on the back of force feeding their electors a constant diet of propaganda of race fear. The consequence is that a significant minority felt rejected in their country of birth. PPP, recognising that this group of electors’ vote is redundant, developed policies that caused them significant economic and psychological hardship. The resulting symptoms were both painful and predictable. The manifestations are anger, resentment, protest, migration, mistrust, lack of social cohesion, hatred, and extrajudicial killings with impunity are a few of these symptoms. Sadly our ‘Guardians of Democracy’ were in a deep state of somnolence during our painful years.

And as we lived through this pathological period under PPP, we slowly come to recognise that we were not only voiceless at the ballot, but we were voiceless on the balconies of Parliament. Elective Dictatorship the euphemism. We were cerebrally flooded with the knowledge that consent has many octopus symbolic arms. These overarching arms are titled Unanimous consent, Hypothetical consent, Overt consent, Tacit consent, Engineered consent and Literal consent. But sadly, these arms were not extending to us under PPP-23. For our consent was not given for Pradoville One. Our consent was not given for Pradoville Two. Berbice Bridge construction never had our consent. The many failed projects namely, Skeldon Sugar Estate, the speciality hospital, etc., never got our consent. No one can argue that these were not essential vitamins required to nourish the protective epidermis of democracy. I will label it as essential vitamin C. The symptoms of it’s deficiency are painfully obvious. PPP former ministers are living in mansions as multi-millionaires, while the masses live in squalor. Who was there to defend us as Roy Beepat, the Guardians of Democracy and Gerry Gouveia and the political PSC turned a blind eye?

And the antithesis of democracy is being banded around by many who are too blinded by race and politics, to recognise the fallacy of their arguments. For I would take it as a given that they would have, at a minimum, done research to get an understanding of the semantics of the word before they take the drastic step of closing their Giftland Mall. Dictatorship is this word frequently regurgitated by the ill-informed and clueless. The irony is that as they scream dictator, they are free to disparagingly refer to H.E. President Granger as dictator without any repercussions. And it goes further.

They are free to make many billboards, erect same around all corners of the country with the images of H.E. President Granger with the word ‘DICTATOR’ plastered on them and face absolutely no consequence. For a dictatorship they are free to protest in the streets, committing criminal acts as they shout ‘DICTATOR’ and burn effigies of the one who they are alleging to be a dictator. And in a dictatorship they are free to threaten the lives of sitting ministers and innocent citizens and live to see another day. For I have struggled to localise where this dictatorship resides, that they so frequently speak of but is not readily visible to our eyes.

So why this selective passion for democracy and fight against dictatorship? It is my humble opinion that democracy is not their fight. If it were, we would have heard their collective voices during PPP-23. Their fight is comically egregious. Their fight is for supremacy.
Their fight is for racial and political supremacy. For how else can I explain Roy Beepat’s actions of referring to Mr. Granger as undemocratic and a dictator then completely leaps over PPP’s 23 years of Indo-presidency to find his way to the 1960’s to attach said label to LFS Burnham? I would have ignored his racially-motivated actions if PPP 23 years were innocuous but we all know that was not the case. As a result whenever I visit Guyana, Giftland and any business owned by Roy would never see my dollar and I encourage others to do the same. Gerry Gouveia and his business associates would never receive my pennies.

And these Guardians of Democracy were also somnolent during the years of PPP. The de facto leader, Bryan MacKintosh, clearly is a man that is crying out for help. For it takes a special kind of stupid to believe that Exxon is threatened by him. It takes a special kind of stupid to believe that the FBI is monitoring him. It takes a special kind of stupid to be so paranoid about everyone and everything. It may be a special kind of stupid or it may not be. What I do know is that this group will soon die a natural death. But Roy Beepat and his businesses along with Gerry Gouveia and the PSC will be around for a while, until they are brought to their knees by you, the paying costumer.

Our democracy is also worth fighting for like they fallaciously claim to be doing today. If they wish not to join us in our justified struggle, then we should not empower them to keep us as second class citizens. ECONOMIC BOYCOTT.

Regards,
Dr. Mark Devonish