The silver lining is for us to get rid of this despicable government

Dear Editor,
It is necessary today to reflect on the seriousness of the situation which Guyana faces by alluding to what took place on Monday November 10, 2014. The Prorogue of Parliament by President Ramotar for no intelligible reason has not only ended the life of Parliament but it also prevented the members of the majority opposition to represent the people in Parliament. It was pitiful to listen to the President’s speech to the nation.
This is a provocative act for which there is no justification and anything is likely to happen. This is a government that will not stop until it completely silence the opposition. The Prorogation of Parliament was not only stupid, but also wicked. It proved that the PPP regime is prepared to use force to suppress anyone including the leaders of the opposition who dared to oppose them.
They have brought the administration of law to its very nadir. And no one but the AFC and APNU have to be blamed because from the outset, they have allowed the minority PPP regime to govern as a majority. They have and continue to rape the treasury, dishonor the constitution, besmirch the opposition, overpower the people, and discredit Parliament?
The failure of the AFC and APNU to enforce the no confident motion against Minister Clement Rohee and to censure Ashni Singh, coupled with APNU’s hands off approach towards City Hall where Carol Sooba has usurped her powers has embolden the PPP cabal to act as a dictator. They viewed this as a sign of weakness by the opposition. The PPP believe that they can do anything without the opposition becoming apoplectic. Simply put, they believe that they are invincible and omnificent.
Guyanese should not feel bound to accept the Prorogation of Parliament by the minority PPP regime. They should and must revolt against it. All Guyanese must join with the opposition to rid Guyana of this evil and wicked monster. Let the PPP be warned that they can arrest anyone but the people are not going to take it lying down. The large turn out at the APNU rally at Cuffy Square last evening proved just that.
We are aware that violence will be no solution; that a civil strife/war will harm the country and probably destroy all of us and that the rule of law must be obeyed but an oppressed people have the right to defend themselves against a tyrannical, barbaric and inhumane PPP government. They cannot allow a minority to thwart the wishes of the majority. They have to be fearless, not fearful; selfless, not selfish.  No one can deny the need for action. It is that need which is itself the rationale and raison d’etre to stand in unity and defeat the corrupt PPP regime.
Today, we are where we were three years ago because of the opposition’s inability to match words with action. We have seen another vicious attempt by the oppressive PPP regime to deny freedom to the citizens of Guyana. But “Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed”—King.
This is a revolutionary struggle that may or may not result in the loss of lives but in any revolution as in life in general, some will have to die for others to live. Nelson Mandela has said: “it is better to die on your feet than to live on your knees.” And more importantly, the Bible states that there is a time for everything—a time to love and a time to hate; a time to laugh and a time to cry; a time to live and a time to die.
The time is now for the opposition to protest the raw power of the PPP; Ramotar’s refusal to assent to the Bills passed by Parliament, demand constitutional reforms, Local Government Elections and the establishment of the Procurement Commission. We ask those who believe in democracy, in free, fair and regular elections, and in the dignity of the Guyanese people and their right to express themselves freely to set aside their differences and join the AFC and APNU in the struggle.
The saying that behind every dark cloud there is a silver lining rings true today. That dark cloud is the proroguing of Parliament which is the final straw that broke the Camel’s back. The silver lining is for us to seize this opportunity and get rid of the most despicable government in all of the Caribbean. Now is the time for a Pro-Democracy Front between the AFC and APNU. There can be no alternative; the situation is grave and no stone must be left unturned if we are serious about defeating the PPP and bring stability to the country.
There can be no differences against the PPP regime which reverses Abraham Lincoln’s prized description of DEMOCRACY— “Government of the people, by the people, and for the people.” But we are aware that “no privileged group ever in the history of mankind gave up its privileged position without a struggle.” We shall remind everyone that at this time true greatness is not measured in terms of wealth, status, nobility or who won the argument, but in terms of service and sacrifice to one’s country-Guyana. SERVICE IS ITS OWN REWARD. We all must dedicate ourselves to this worthy cause. This is the EPISTLE of the Proroguing Parliament. Either we unite to defeat the PPP or we perished unwept, unhonoured.
Asquith Rose and Harish Singh