Guyana is still a secular state, not a “religious country” as Granger contends

Dear Editor,
Campaigning at Golden Grove, Mr David Granger rebutted criticism from the PPP/C General Secretary about his going to church and praying. He called Mr Bharrat Jagdeo “Pharaoh” and said that Pharaoh should “know this is a religious country.” The PNCR leader declared: “I exercise my religious freedom as a Christian…I am praying for you Pharaoh…that you see the light and turn from your ways.”
Mr Granger is partially correct. He has a right to freedom of religion. No one including Pharaoh took this right by filing frivolous lawsuits. What if Mr Granger was prevented from praying until March 2? When Mr Granger used his status as Head of State to repeatedly misrepresent the events of 2001 to 2006 or refused to call timely elections last year, no one including Pharaoh prayed for Mr Granger to “turn from his ways.”
Mr Granger enjoys his rights today, while others have to wait for theirs. Some are denied outright. Indeed, eligible voters who were alive on September 18, 2019, but who have since died will, therefore, never enjoy their right to vote following the 2018 NCM. Prayer will not make them whole. Prayer is not a substitute for constitutional rights.
Incidentally, Pharaoh has a right to pray as Pharaoh sees fit, or not pray at all. The law never rendered to believers any more protection than non-believers. Thus, Mr Granger arguably discriminated against non-believers when he stated in New Amsterdam: “I pity godless people who cannot pray to a higher being.”
The Constitution does not require a voter to be religious, married, or a parent to vote or hold public office. Mr Granger seems to be promoting a corrupt form of “integrity” in order to soften voters given his errors and strong-arm tactics over the past two years. Deny a man’s vote one day, and then tell him how you care about his “pickney” the next. Vote in Parliament and then say voting was all “nonsense”.
No amount of gospel will alter these facts. On the contrary, Mr Granger has displayed poor judgment regarding a fundamental right, and at times sounds like a preacher at the pulpit. Religious dogma, however, cannot replace cornerstones of law that provide equal protection to believers and non-believers. Guyana is still a secular state. It is not, as Mr Granger said, a “religious country.”
The distinction is important, especially at election time. Surely Mr Granger knows this but he seems willing to ignore the distinction to gin up votes from a certain quarter. However, if the distinctions start to disappear, so too will rights. This is the reason for having a Constitution, in addition to religious texts. A politician that “prays” for Pharaoh today will want to vote for Pharaoh tomorrow.
Politicians should, therefore, stick to politics. Rallies which are meant to educate voters about political attributes of candidates and topical issues ought not to be a platform for religious dogma in exchange for votes. However, religious rhetoric is on a rise under the six-legged big tent.
In 2015 and again, biblical references have become prevalent. For example, the story of David versus Goliath has been a metaphor of comparison for the main presidential candidates. Mr Joseph Harmon, for example, told supporters at the Palm Tree Cinema in Wismar that Mr Granger (ie, “David”) prays for Guyana. He said having an APNU/AFC coalition in office in 2015 was a “spiritual revival.”
But there is a lot of smoke with all of this religious talk. The smoke is meant to hide or limit a proper inquiry by voters of the APNU/AFC coalition’s time in office. Further, it helps to hide a violation of key rights voters have. For example, the right to free political speech in the form of campaign symbols.
A few minutes before Mr Harmon talked about his praying party leader, a female APNU/AFC politician spoke about a PPP/C MP who urinated in two cups in Parliament. Then she did the unthinkable (see video on APNU/AFC Facebook page, January 17). She told the crowd: “When they come to you with the cup, put it in a certain place and pee in it.”
The audience roared. Mr Harmon enjoyed the moment. This kind of “integrity” and “decency” is unique to the APNU/AFC coalition. Even Mr Granger has to admit that no amount of prayer will help here.

Sincerely,
Rakesh Rampertab