Dear Editor,
The news has been rightly dominated in the last weeks with the President’s unilateral appointment of the GECOM Chairman. It is a matter which has evoked a lot of concern; and persons and organisations have expressed, in a most passionate manner, their strongest disagreement with the President’s decision.
While the Administration’s apologists have sought to create a smokescreen, and call attention to a number of red herrings, the President’s act, for all intents and purposes, remains unconstitutional and plainly wrong.
But this act by the President, Editor, must be seen in the context of the bigger picture. The GECOM Chairman selection/appointment is part of a wider plan executed with military precision to usurp democracy, contain dissent, and control all arms of the State. It mimics the modus operandi of many military/security-based Governments the world over.
We have seen that efforts are being made to tarnish and undermine political opposition through the widely perceived politically-controlled SARA and SOCU. Flimsy, trumped-up charges are instituted to intimidate and harass many considered as opponents. At the same time, longstanding norms and practices have been disregarded and replaced by a top-down approach to address and deal with issues.
Alongside those developments, we have seen former military men and women who are no doubt supportive of the Administration placed in almost every facet of the state apparatus to obviously assure control. Note should be taken also of the recent amendments to the broadcasting legislation which established mandatory programming for the Administration on privately-owned television and radio stations.
It is still not too late to nip these developments. Such actions require the people to stand up staunchly and strongly oppose such developments. Dictatorship in the past put our country at the brink, aggravated poverty, chased away our needed and required skills for development and advancement, and took away our dignity and pride. At this time, I call on all fellow Guyanese to not allow those days to return.
Yours sincerely,
Patricia Persaud
