Speech by Dr Cheddi Jagan seconding vote of thanks to His Royal Highness the Duke of Kent

A prize still to be won: Independence

Your Royal Highnesses, Mr Speaker, the severing of the British colonial tie in Guyana, and the attainment of political Independence are welcome features of the struggle of this country and its people for a better life. These features in today’s context, do not, however, guarantee the realisation of the better life we all seek. They merely represent a further stage, an advancement in the continuing struggle.
I wish to thank their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Kent, as representatives of Her Majesty the Queen, for their presence in this House to hand over the new Constitutional Instruments.

But lest our position at this historic ceremony be misunderstood, it is necessary for me to observe that the people whom my party represents hold considerable reservations.
The form of the Constitution being handed down at this time is one which perpetuates divisions in our society, and entrenches minority rule. The Constitution has failed to lay the foundation for national unity. The fundamental rights which the Constitution seeks to safeguard are, in a great measure non-existent, and the Government has provided evidence in great abundance of its intention to render all safeguards nugatory.
Detention without trial has plagued the country since July 1964, when, by a constitutional amendment, the United Kingdom Government gave to the Governor, acting without advice, powers to detain without trial. This power was made to appear, by the world press and radio, to have been exercised by the Government, of which I was the Head. The powers were, in fact, arbitrarily exercised by the Governor, to the detriment of the members and supporters of the People’s Progressive Party. Abuses of these powers, now transferred to the Government, and the extension of the State of Emergency, beyond the date of the attainment of Independence, have generated fear in our land and have frustrated the efforts of many of our people in their struggle for peace and security.
As Leader of the Opposition, I have accepted invitations to consult with the Honourable Prime Minister, on the making of appointments to those important public offices, which form the pillars of constitutional Government, but I regret to say that on no occasion, has there been any measure of agreement. The result is that those people, whom my party represents, are denied any participation in the governmental process. Consultation has amounted, in practice, to no more than an intimation, on every occasion, of the names of persons whom the inflexible Government wished to prefer to high office in this land.
Besides, political independence has been attained under the continuation and consolidation of foreign economic control and the maintenance of the colonial type of economy, based on primary production and extraction. This has already detracted from the living standards of the working people.
Debt burdens are already increasing with the resulting pressure on the economy. The annually recurring budgetary deficits will inevitably mean dependence on other Governments for budgetary support.
In these circumstances, there is no prospect for real Independence in external affairs and the protestations of the Government, of pursuing a neutral policy, are illusory.
The People’s Progressive Party has been the victim of repeated constitutional manipulations designed to keep it out of office.
We are nonetheless confident that, despite these manipulations, the People’s Progressive Party can be triumphant at future elections, if they are fairly held. Parliamentary democracy has an important place in this country, and a heavy onus lies on all of us, but more particularly on the Government, to see that it works.
The People’s Progressive Party, the vanguard of Guyana’s struggle for national liberation, is convinced that liberty is achieved only when it has been struggled for and won. It cannot be a gift of charity. For the people of Guyana, real freedom is still a prize to be won, and win it we will – as a re-united free people.