Dear Editor,
PLEASE allow some space in your next publication for our letter on the President’s thoughtful initiative of declaring the establishment of the Order of Democracy, an honour which is to be conferred on deserving candidates who fought tooth and nail to protect democracy in Guyana following the March 2, 2020 general and regional elections.

It took a nerve-wracking and a heart-pounding five months of dedicated struggle, led from the front by the PPP/C and joined by many others in Guyana and around the world to defeat a ready-to- pounce dictatorship on the people of Guyana. There were noteworthy contributions and sacrifices by some organisations as well as many individuals.

One stand-out contributor for the preservation of democracy was the late Mr. Dharamchand “Randy” Depoo, who for many years while in the diaspora, was involved in the struggle for the return of democracy in Guyana prior to 1992. In 2020, he volunteered as an observer in the general and regional elections. Mr. Depoo came to prominence when he took it upon himself to do whatever he could to force a legitimate declaration of the election results.

His petition calling for personal sanctions against all the perpetrators of electoral malpractices rapidly secured close to 7,000 signatures in just about two months. He personally delivered a copy of his petition to the U.S. Embassy in Georgetown and also did an online delivery to the U.S. Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo’s office. Sadly, Mr. Depoo passed away on June 10, 2020, just under two months shy of the legitimate swearing in of Dr. Irfaan Ali as Guyana’s ninth President.

The brave Mr Depoo, a strong and diehard believer in free and fair elections, walked the streets of Georgetown during the height of the struggle as many outspoken citizens feared for their safety. He was fearless and he inspired many to get involved in the struggle. The then recently formed Democracy Watch 2020 in Toronto was most encouraged by Mr. Deepo’s dynamism.
A number of outstanding Guyanese support the inclusion and consideration of Mr. Depoo to be the recipient of this prestigious inaugural Order of Democracy, which we believe when carefully researched and vetted will be bestowed on anyone most deserving.

We at Democracy Watch 2020 in Toronto, strongly support Mr. Depoo’s posthumous candidacy if his name was already in the mix and wish to recommend his inclusion, if not yet submitted for consideration.

We also ask others who have indicated their support for this proposal to make their views public.

Respectfully submitted,
Raj Singh for Democracy Watch 2020