Dear Editor,
The world has been aghast at the recent sight of a white police officer squeezing the life out of George Floyd in Minneapolis. This was a blatant act of racism and police brutality, and must be condemned.
Such inhumanity is considered justified when a section of the population of any country is relegated to the status of second-class citizens. Apart from discrimination based on race, in many countries, there are some who, by some twisted logic, tend to regard those who came later as lesser citizens, regardless of the sacrifices of their forefathers and their ongoing contributions to national development.
In Guyana too, where race plays a major role in politics, there is a small group of so-called intellectuals who feel that there should be hierarchical categorisation of the citizenry based on when our forefathers first landed on our shores.
A crime is a crime, and hopefully, justice will be meted out to the police officers involved.
In Guyana, a horrendous potential crime is about to be re-enacted, unless the Elections Commission is committed to asserting its independence and is prepared to separate the wheat from the chaff.
The APNU and its political concubines are determined to remain in power at any cost. The APNU has wasted no time in whipping up its base support into a frenzy, claiming victory in the recent general elections. This is a manoeuvre to set the stage for social unrest. The APNU is an offspring of the former PNC, which has a history of electoral malfeasance. A leopard cannot change its spots, even if it moves from spot to spot.
The complicity of the AFC is based purely on self-interest, and perhaps the same applies to the WPA. I had the privilege of rendering medical care to Donald Rodney for injuries sustained when his brother Walter was killed, after which members of the WPA and its supporters shouted shame on the PNC. Now I say shame on the WPA.
The attempt by the Government of the day to create discord among the Guyana Police Force and the GDF is fraught with danger. When it comes to law and order, I trust that the security forces will put their country first, and make every effort to protect the lives and property of everyone, regardless of their perceived political affiliation.
We are here because our forefathers were brought here. We were born here; we have all worked hard to make a contribution to this country, and all Guyanese deserve equal justice and protection.
In a democracy, the right to vote is sacred. Evil machinations of the electoral system must not be allowed to triumph, and those who seek to subvert the system must not be rewarded. The international community is watching, and hopefully will intervene with appropriate sanctions if APNU and its cohorts attempt to hijack the elections.
Sincerely,
Dr Ganraj Kumar,
Former Leader, Liberator
Party
