Stand up…

…for democracy
We were colonised on the premise that we were all “uncivilised”, unwashed masses, so that our lands could be expropriated and some of us snatched from other expropriated countries by our “betters” and dumped here. For two centuries, as our British “betters” slowly introduced democratic reforms in their own country, they held back on us, since even though we eventually were recognised as humans and “free”, we had to be “tutored” into the ways of democracy!!
Our independence politicians indignantly rejected this, and insisted we were actually “precocious”! Well, sadly, ever since the PNC was formed by Burnham in the 1950s at the instigation of the West, it has done nothing more than proven the British were absolutely spot on with their assessment. The PNC just isn’t prepared to accept the norms of democracy. In fact, it wouldn’t recognise democracy if it were to creep up and bite that party on its behind!!
So we had 28 years of despotic government under Burnham, who – as exposed by the recently departed Professor Rudy James – had the gall to write his own constitution in 1980 to baptise his dictatorial powers as being “legal”!! Rigging elections eviscerated the procedural aspect of democracy in denying the Guyanese populace any say in who formed their Government, while he insisted that only he knew exactly what the country needed to be “moulded”, even as he destroyed the substantive aspects.
The rigging of elections rested in the first insistence on Burnham’s control of the elections machinery in general, and over its Chairmen — CJs Sir Donald Jackson and Sir Harold Bollers in particular.
But, to their credit, after the raison ‘d’etre for the western powers to prop up the PNC disappeared with the fall of the Soviet Union, they did attempt to make up for Guyana’s democratic deficit under the PNC. They midwifed “free and fair” elections in 1992 under the aegis of the Carter Center, and the PPP was returned to office.
Under an Elections Commission led by bi-partisan selected chairmen, they conducted five elections that were all certified by the international community as “free and fair”.
But once the PNC slipped back into power under the democratic system – like Hitler in the Weimar Republic – it immediately worked to corrupt the system and subvert democratic elections to keep itself in power. Granger unilaterally selected James Patterson as GECOM Chair, and he’s now ensured GECOM would circumvent the constitution on the elections’ date.
The American, British, Canadian and European (ABCE) Envoys just met with GECOM and “raised concerns over the impact of the impasse on investment”.
That’s not enough. They have the moral responsibility to insist that the supreme law of the land – the Constitution – be observed.

Elections by March 19!!
…for fair labour practices
Your Eyewitness is more than a tad confused by the OFFICIAL state-owned Chronic’s reporting on the labour dispute with RUSAL. After a meeting between Government representatives and the company, the Chronic’s headline blared, “SACKED RUSAL TO BE REINSTATED”. But in the body of the story, they quoted Minister Amna Ally as saying, “That meeting was our first engagement, and we’ve not come to any concrete decision”!! What gives?? Isn’t a headline supposed to summarise the gist of the story and not the wish of the DPI?? Like, say, in the other story they carried under the caption, “No resolution yet in UG, unions wage row”!!
But seriously, folks, your Eyewitness’ working-class credentials is as solid as any other working stiff, but isn’t it time we let the company’s story also be told? The RUSAL management says that the bauxite union’s claim to be the representative of the workers isn’t so.
Shouldn’t the Trade Union Labour Recognition Board be called in to pronounce on the matter as a threshold issue?

…against fleecing
When will this PNC-led Government insult to our democratic rights stop?? After insulting the Guyanese people by paying US$ millions more for a smaller airport than contracted for, they’ve just added salt to our wounds by announcing massive “security” and “service” fees!!
Go fly a kite, Patterson!!