These elections are about stopping the Jagdeo/Ramotar corruption and divisive politics

Dear Editor, The 2015 General and Regional Elections are about every Guyanese, home and abroad, who is desirous of improving the quality of life for Guyanese, preserving Guyana for Guyanese and restoring good governance, which includes respect for rights, the rule of law and accountability. As such, the vote must be a referendum on the leadership delivered by Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Romatar, former and current president, both wanting to serve by continuing to make bad policies and impose same on the citizens. The reference to Forbes Burnham, Desmond Hoyte, Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan has no place in these elections, for these persons are all dead and cannot be answerable for what society may perceive as their misdeeds.  We can learn from their mistakes and build on their successes. These elections are about Jagdeo’s and Ramotar’s leadership. This is a period as we are reminded of Burnham and others, that we must not forget the unleashing of a death squad sanctioned by the state led by Jagdeo and supported by Ramotar that resulted in the demise of hundreds of young men, whose parents are stilling weeping for closure and wanting to know where their bodies are buried.  It is also a period when presidents, government ministers, officials and cohorts confiscated state and ancestral lands to build Pradoville 1 and 2. It is a period when the natural resources of this country are being divided among friends, even to the detriment of the Indigenous Peoples.  It is also a period when the minster of government is using state funds for cosmetic dentistry while the same minister gave away the lands of the  Amerindian Hururu people to a foreign investor for a price less than what her dental work cost. In this period we need to evaluate the 12 years of imposition of wages and salaries to public servants in breach of the Trade Union Recognition Act which has become the practice of the Jagdeo and Ramotar governments. This society will have to assess the collusion between the government and foreign investors to continue breaking the laws by denying workers the right to join a trade union of choice. This society will have to further assess the collusion between the government and foreign investors to treat Guyanese as second class citizens in the land of their birth. The issue of preferential treatment when it comes to the question of government purchasing of pharmaceuticals is a sore point because billions of taxpayers’ dollars are thrown behind it, yet critical drugs paid for never find their way at the state institutions to help in the delivery of health care. The issue of education and the policy of undermining the nation’s premier institution of learning to deny the future generation quality education, since the government functionaries and cohorts can use scholarship schemes and so forth to send their children abroad must be of concern to all. The issues of power generation, telecommunications and broadcasting have to be examined and cannot be allowed to remain in the hands of families and friends, because these become avenues to exploit the citizens. The floods that we continue to experience and the poor management of drainage and irrigation continue to do untold harm to households, businesses and farmers causing them billions in un-recoverable losses. Rather than addressing the sugar industry with the prime objective of guaranteeing work for the people who are being affected by production decline and world prices, Jagdeo and Ramotar play partisan politics with the industry, creating a gravy train to recruit incompetent friends and families as managers, digging into the Treasury to the tune of billions under the pretext that they care about the industry, but yet at the same time refusing to develop a sustainable plan to protect the livelihood of those who will be affected by the economic status of sugar. What the Jagdeo and Ramotar governments have done over the years is force citizens not to speak about the decline of sugar and the moneys being pumped into it without any justification to this nation, by making a case that if you speak about their ills in the management of the industry, you will be deemed anti-Indian. Sugar by extension is being used by the Jagdeo/Ramotar leadership to entrench themselves and continue their corrupt practices. These are only a few issues we need to examine and put the leadership of Jagdeo and Ramotar under scrutiny. These elections create the opportunity for the people to invest in their future and to put a stop to continuation of all the wrong things. These elections are not about 23 years of the PPP or 28 years of the PNC; they are about the record of Jagdeo and Ramotar. These elections are not about David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo who are incidental; they are about workers and citizens holding hands to make a change. These elections are about an investment in the future of our children and grandchildren; they are not about the members and supporters of the PPP, because they are equally shortchanged, equally denied an opportunity to live in a society where there is justice, fair play, equal opportunities and the security of knowing the government will respect you and safeguard you. The General and Regional Elections are about the people and their future. The right to cast a ballot was fought for and the journey was long and rigorous, starting in 1926 by Hubert Nathaniel Critchlow. Sacrifices were made by our forebears for one man one vote and electing a government that reflects our desires. We must take these elections seriously. Roger Luncheon has said that this is the mother of all elections.  I do agree with him but for a different reason. These elections are about stopping the Jagdeo/Ramotar lawlessness, corruption and divisive politics. It is about getting to the truth about who killed the people at Lusignan, Bartica and Lindo Creek and so many of the other wrongs done in this society under their leadership. It is about restoring rights, the rule of law, accountability and good governance. These elections are about we, the people. Your vote is your power to end wrongdoings and to help create the society you want to see.

Lincoln Lewis