A divisive intent should have no place of influence and leadership

Dear Editor,
With the production of oil and gas, our country is poised for a bright future. But some supposedly educated in our country seem to be using race, ethnicity, and political division to hinder that development. Rather than support the planned development projects, they seem committed to impeding normal governance.
Much can be said about the dark period of the early 1960s. But that period remains in the past, and only in the minds of some. They try to keep it alive by repeating that there is racial division and racism. They tried to renew those dark days during the 90s and after the turn of this century. We also saw the attempt in 2020 to ignite a race war from West Berbice.
Most of our fellow Guyanese are too intelligently informed to be used as tools of destruction. So, the 2020 attempt failed. But the divisionism persists in the minds and words of people whom we expect to be leading more enlightened behaviour and development in our society.
There was a display of the racist mindset in another section of the press earlier this week. Reading it revealed a seemingly shocking level of divisive intent of the writer. It also ignores the role of the democratic process in our society. Revealing that for some, having racial division is more important than contributing to our country’s development.
For the writer, like the PNC, the parliamentary Opposition represents half of the population. He implies that the Government is for half of Guyana. Is this a lack of understanding or acceptance of the democratic process? Don’t we have an election to determine who governs our country? And a parliamentary Opposition for the country’s Parliament? And not for the race, they claim to represent.
According to the writer, there is political division, and there is ethnic division. And the PPP Government has no right to determine what must be done for the other half of the society. He wants self-determination for the half he speaks for. Is this his concept of the Opposition’s responsibility? To his group (read race) and not the nation.
Is it the reason for trying to block and frustrate national development projects initiated by the PPP Government? Projects that include the Marriott Hotel, the new CJIA, and the Amaila Falls Hydro Project? It is what they do when they get a chance to show they support and want national development. Their display on the passing of the NRF Bill and the recent budget has shown them committed to being obstacles to national progress.
It seems clear they are more focused on promoting division in our country. They display a complete lack of regard for the democratic process and the importance of the role of democracy. According to the writer, a simple majority promotes division. He says the Opposition got nothing from the budget.
A simple majority works in all democracies of the world. But for the writer, it cannot be good for Guyana. According to his reasoning, the Opposition is in Parliament only to get something for its supporters. Rather than doing the people’s business, it focuses on the interests of its ethnic group.
The same mentality subjected our country to rigged elections pre-92. It has brought us to the brink after 2015. And culminating in 2020 with the shameless attempt to thwart the will of the people of Guyana. They gave themselves the right to rig the elections since according to them A PPP Government will marginalize their race. Race seems the reason to get and keep power.
It is time the Opposition understands that after the elections, they work on behalf of the whole country. In the same way, the elected Government is the Government of the whole country. And works to develop the whole country in the interest of all the people. They are not in Parliament to represent their race or group.
But the PNC and its sympathisers use the illusion of racism to label any PPP/C Government as an Indian Government. This illusion of racism and racial division in our country is driven by hatred for the PPP and the mental rejection of the PPP’s democratic right to govern Guyana. This mindset is the real problem that has stifled Guyana’s progress since 1966. Not racism or racial division.
In the interest of our country’s development, the intelligent choice of our people is to reject the divisive mindset. Guyanese need to choose as leaders, people who serve in the interest of all Guyanese. To ensure Guyana’s bright future we need to keep those with this divisive mindset out of leadership and influence in our country.

Sincerely,
Art Foster