– people’s right to fairly choose their gov’t must remain sacrosanct, says President Ali

PRESIDENT Dr. Irfaan Ali has hailed the 28th anniversary of the return of democracy to Guyana as historic, and has contended that the right of the people to freely and fairly choose the government must remain sacrosanct.

Democracy returned to Guyana on October 5, 1992 after decades in the wilderness under the People’s National Congress (PNC) rule.

“The restoration of democracy on October 5th, 1992 ushered in the dawn of a new era. No longer were we a pariah state, and no longer would dictatorship oppress our people and stifle economic development. It unlocked the latent potential of our people, and propelled economic growth and development,” the President said Monday in observance of the occasion.

The Head of State said Guyana’s economic, political and social progress over the past 28 years would not have been possible without democracy.

“On this the 28th anniversary milestone, Guyana recalls the epic struggle waged for the restoration of the right of our people to freely elect a government of their choice. Today, we pay tribute to all those, inside and outside of Guyana, who contributed to the eventual triumph of democracy. We remember especially those brave individuals who lost their lives in this struggle, including Jagan Ramesar, Bhola Nauth Parmanand, Father Bernard Darke, and Dr. Walter Rodney,” President Ali said.

Sovereignty, according to the Constitution, the President said, belongs to the people, and they exercise this sovereignty through their elected representatives.

He explained that the right of the people to freely and fairly choose who would govern them must remain sacrosanct.

“This right, we saw earlier this year, is fragile; it must be guarded and safeguarded zealously,” the President said, while noting that government remains committed to upholding and protecting democracy, and intends to fashion a more inclusive system of governance, and fortify democratic institutions.

NEVER AGAIN

“Never again will our people’s freedom be subject to the threat of being hijacked. This glorious day reminds us that rights carry accompanying duties, and that, consequentially, every citizen has a duty to defend democracy. Today, as we observe the 28th anniversary of the restoration of democracy, it is as good a time as any to re-commit to ensuring our democracy is never again threatened,” Dr. Ali said.

The Head of State also thanked all Guyanese, especially the many young people, who stood up and allowed themselves to be counted in the history books of the country, when their country needed them, in defense of democracy in 2020.

The David Granger-led APNU+AFC administration has been accused of electoral fraud after five months of delay in announcing the results which unseated his administration from office.

“Today, as we reflect on the legacy and life and contribution of Dr. Jagan, Janet Jagan and other leaders in our society, for the People’s Progressive Party, we can say that their legacy; we can say that their commitment was again celebrated when Guyanese in 2020 continued in a vein that ensured democracy lived on,” the President said.

President Ali explained that the Political Affairs Committee (PAC), when it was formed, all the great leaders, Ashton Chase among them, all subscribed to the tenets of democracy, along with great trade union leaders.

Meanwhile, A New and United Guyana (ANUG), in a statement, also celebrated the 28th anniversary of the return of democracy to Guyana after rigged elections from in 1968, 1972, 1980 and 1985, and a rigged referendum in 1978.

“The PPP/C won the elections on 5th October, 1992, promising shared governance or a ‘winner does not take all’ system of government. The PPP/C remained in office for twenty-three years amidst an unstable political system, punctuated by periodic violence, and with economic growth unreflective of Guyana’s potential. The electorate voted the PPP/C out of office in 2015, and placed its confidence in the APNU+AFC coalition to mend our political system by implementing a detailed plan for shared governance. They failed to do so, and attempted, unsuccessfully, to rig the 2020 elections,” ANUG said in its statement.

ANUG called on the Government on this important anniversary to re-commit itself to shared governance and a ‘winner does not take all’ political system, and to take steps to immediately implement a process of constitutional reform to bring this about.