Guyana Observer News

The presidential candidate should be indentified not because of race but in spite of race

Monday, 16 August 2010

By Lincoln Lewis

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Rights form the bedrock of every modern and civilized society and they are enshrined in conventions, constitutions and laws. Guyana should be no different if it wants to be seen and respected as a modern and civilized society. Rights are non-negotiable. As we seek to develop a democracy the rights of every citizen must be respected and honour to the letter. As such no right can take precedent over another. Neither can a right be violated in order to enjoy another right. Rights are rights and have to be honoured at all times, regardless of the circumstance, regardless of who is in government or in opposition.

The discourse on who ought to lead an opposition to defeat the current government is deserving of attention. Though well meaning in intent by those who genuinely want an end to the anti-democratic PPP government, it nonetheless poses a clear and present danger to the further erosion of rights and therefore needs revisiting. To argue for the identity of a candidate based on race will not only further institutionalize discrimination but in this instance it will create the evil of structural apartheid.
To tell non-Indians that in order for them to have an equal share in the nation’s resources or be able to influence its political direction an Indian has to be their leader, yet at the same time refusing to say to the Indian community that politics and development are about sound programmes and respecting the rights of all of which they too must play their part, is to seek to deny non-Indians the right to associate with leaders of their race even as you say to Indians that you respect their right to associate with and vote for persons of their race. Further, it sends a message that anti-democratic behaviour once practiced by your own race is acceptable. It also sends a message to non-Indians that the opportunity to aspire to the highest office of the land will never be theirs because of their race.
You cannot end racial discrimination against a people by asking them to accept racial discrimination against themselves. The country must not give in to any urge that violates the fundamental rights of any citizen. And it must not support anti-democratic practices which will give ammunition to the racists and agent provocateurs to continue the trampling of constitutional rights and the destruction of this country.

Neither must our actions communicate to the PPP government that its racist practices have now found national acceptance.
The constitution is very clear on the qualifying conditions for a presidential candidate and among those conditions race is not one of them. As such the presidential candidate should be indentified not because of race but in spite of race.
This consistent argument that racial association is destroying efforts at development has to be examined deeper.
The Guyana Constitution makes provision for freedom of association and this association is also on the ground of race and it has to be respected. While over the years Guyanese have demonstrated this association in their voting patterns there exist no provision in the constitution to discriminate against anyone who chose not to associate.
The fact that the PPP forms the government, largely because of this association, does not give the party any right as the government and custodian of the nation’s constitution, laws and resources to discriminate against non-Indians.
The resources of this nation belong to all the people and all must equally benefit from them. It is the government’s moral, civic and legal responsibility to lead in this regard.
It is the nation’s electoral process that brought the PPP to government, so regardless of who supports the opposition, all by virtue of their residency, taxpaying responsibility and/or voting right are part of the process and are entitled to be treated equally as any person who voted for the PPP.
It is the PPP government that continues to fail the nation and not the rank and file voters, since the racist and discriminatory programmes were/are conceptualized, developed and being implemented by those who hold national office. It is this group that has to be held accountable.
The society must therefore attack the source of the problem which is the racist and anti-democratic practices of the PPP government.
This government should not get away with the transgression of anyone’s rights, neither should the society advocate for structural apartheid in its attempt to pursue good governance.
The PPP must be held accountable for its poor governance which is enough to ensure that it is denied further opportunity to continue plundering the nation’s resources and abusing the citizens.
Let me state again, the constitution respects the right to association but there is no provision in the constitution that gives anyone the right, including the government, to discriminate against another because of his association. Equally, the constitution does not make provision for race as a criterion for the presidency.

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