Strengthening Guyana’s rising democracy can catapult development, security at home and within the region

Dear Editor,
Two years onwards from the most flagrant and provocative ‘bright-daylight’ robbery attempts at stealing the right to govern in Guyana, the dawn of a new era emerges! His Excellency, President Dr. Irfaan Ali, and Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo are now supported by a strong ‘One Guyana Team’, providing exemplary leadership in moving the country forward while adrenalising like movements in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Region.
Thanks to the bold and fearless stand international and Caricom regional leaders took as a collective against this APNU/AFC/PNC malignant tumour, the most significant threat to democracy in Guyana, and destabilisation of the region was rejected and repelled. The gouging process exposed and emphasise the need for internal healing through the corrective strengthening of the democratic pillars at the international, national, and internal community levels.
From the Guyana perspective, the replenishment of the latter is tied to, and built on, the timely cycles of Local Government elections, while the former are orchestrated through the foreign policy framework of forging meaningful partnerships with other states while realising the synergies from trade and other cooperation agreements established.
In addressing the foregoing key components, one must recognise an existing framework in which the many developing countries and countries in transition have, for decades, failed to sufficiently converge on anticipated developmental growth targets of key global and regional agreements. From another perspective, one may argue that many of these agreements, albeit adjustments, are failing their members. Almost all of the regional, international and even global hemispheric countries in the United Nations are losing their sphere of influence and real purpose in sufficiently protecting the most vulnerable. Consequently, exogenous factors such as the COVID-19 pandemic and its consequences, the World Climate Crisis, and particularly the Russia /Ukraine war have increased volatility and uncertainty, and demand immediate and meaningful interventions by our leaders to arrest the emerging food security crisis, to ensure our countries, regions and the world become better and safer places to live.
The Guyana-Caricom experience of 2020 confirms the fostering of fair and justified democratic harmony as a key and necessary essential to set the platform for effective cooperation among our sister states. In this regard, the recent Guyana-Barbados partnership and respective Agri-forums exemplify how the region could teamwork to reduce individual investment risks while guaranteeing competitive internal supply and markets.
President Alli’s initiative-driven approach, coupled with incorporation of a time-bound implementation schedule, serves to establish a somewhat controlled environment for delivery, chartering a path for the swift removal of burdensome barriers that have long stymied regional progress. It builds on previously advanced opportunities such as the Jagdeo Initiative that our states failed to capitalise on, and the obvious resulting high opportunity costs borne at the individual levels.
The expressions of will and commitment made at the level of Caricom confirm the breath of fresh air and relief induced to catalyse and optimise results from the slow-paced implementation of the Revised Treaty of Chaguaramas. Notwithstanding other regional leaders, Guyana’s President Ali and Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados have boldly and fearlessly led the way.
It cannot be denied that it was the unity of democratic purpose which harmonised the entire Caribbean and the larger world to return peace and democracy to our land. However, our democracy is certainly pivotal to the further strengthening of Caricom, and today, Caribbean countries are indeed united and working to make this part of the world a better place for our people to live.
With the necessary adjustments, a template for the swift remobilisation of Caricom gains is the new beacon of hope. As this model is operationalised, one must never forget the role of ‘Proletarian Internationalism” and ‘Peaceful Coexistence”. The world desperately needs a New Economic Order, and issues impacting global crises must be confronted peacefully. The region must now move as a collective in advancing the interests of our states at the relevant international and multilateral fora.
Congratulations to President Dr. Irfaan Ali, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, and all embracing the One Guyana theme.
On the Local Democratic Front, the holding of Local Government Election (LGEs) is the most significant conduit to ensuring local democracy. While the PPP/C Government is certainly doing a great job to develop the country at the national and international levels, it is imperative that the various levels of our democracy also be more inclusive. Parallel democratic policies and supporting pillars must be used to uphold and sustain the crest on which we preach. Lest we are bound to fall!
GECOM’s recently concluded continuous registration process was highly successful, and this augurs well for the run-off of LGEs. The togetherness and work done by the GECOM staff, with the political party scrutineers as counterchecks, must be complemented. The results confirm that seventy thousand and sixty-one transactions were completed. These include twenty-one thousand one hundred and twenty-nine, (21,129) persons over 18 years old who were registered. Twenty-eight thousand one hundred and fifty (28,150) persons between the ages of 14 and 17 years who were registered. While there were four thousand, six hundred and twenty-nine (4,629) transfers and six thousand five hundred and thirty (6,530) changes/ corrections. There were also seven thousand six hundred and eighty (7,680) replacements of ID Cards, and one thousand, nine hundred and forty-three (1,943) photo retakes.
With the completion of successful continuous registration, GECOM must work out a proper timeline for the holding of LGEs. The local democracy will give our people at the grassroots levels an opportunity to work together, and strengthen development at the lower level. Our local democracy must be more inclusive, and this will bring tremendous development and build unity as a whole!

Sincerely,
Neil Kumar