Prime Minister Mottley has spoken out of turn

Dear Editor,

It is disappointing that none other than the sitting head of CARICOM, a Queen’s Counsel in law, choses to make comments sub judice even as the Caribbean Court of Justice (CCJ) is yet to hear a case brought before it on the recent election. Evidently forces are at work not to have us conclude this election in a lawful and orderly manner.

Guyana continues to struggle to conclude its election amidst legal challenges, international interference as to the credibility of the results, and the most recent ruling by the Appellate Court declaration on valid votes.

The Opposition has approached the CCJ to pronounce on the Court of Appeal decisions. It is their right to so do. They and the respondents are entitled to due process to aid closure in our election and this must be respected. Guyana is no less deserving than any CARICOM memberstate or any member within our diplomatic community fold to seek resolution through the judicial process. All parties in Guyana, inclusive of government, are entitled to pursue legal justice.

Prime Minister Mia Mottley of Barbados, by speaking to an issue before the court, in violation of the sacred tenet of her profession, has sought to compromise herself and the process. In this regard she is either deliberately setting out to influence judicial ruling or public opinion. Some may consider her interference as an insight to her judicial integrity and an impartial leader in CARICOM when such leadership is required.

This is not the first instance, since Guyana’s electoral struggle, that Ms. Mottley has put her foot in her mouth. The last time she displayed contempt for a Guyanese right to judicial recourse she completely ignored that the first CARICOM team played a part in seeking legal review as to the scope of their mandate in the recount exercise. The Prime Minister has a tendency for speaking out of turn.

When the election is over Guyana can survive without CARICOM, Barbados cannot. This statement is made in light of the prior threat of former CARICOM leaders that

option. Apart from racial politics being front and centre, the scars from the PNC’s tenure were still raw. A third force was mulled and the AFC, birthed by disillusioned members of the PPP and the PNC, began to make small steps towards slaying the racevote dragon, taking 5 seats in the 2006 elections and 7 in 2011.

In 2015, taking what some political pundits still maintain was a poor decision, the AFC joined APNU, a coalition of the PNC and some smaller parties, including the WPA and defeated the PPP/Civic by 1 seat. However, sighs of relief by those who were seeking change, later turned to gasps of shock when the APNU+AFC not only failed to live up to many of the promises made, including stamping out corruption, but also showed signs of not caring and worst of all, measured their ills against those they had stridently called out the PPP on. Little wonder then that the triumph with which the APNU+AFC swept into power was short-lived. Race remains the life force of politics in Guyana and the coalition, which many wanted to believe had begun to change that stumbled heavily and dropped the ball.

Guyana can be expelled from CARICOM and other international organisations. The disrespect of Prime Minister Mottley, Prime Minister Ralph Gonsalves or any other Caribbean leader will not be tolerated by Guyanese. Not at this juncture. We will not tolerate this political interference, diplomatic bullyism and our right to resolve our conflicts judicially.

We remind Prime Minister Mottley that though she feels secure in her office she, like Prime Minister Gonsalves also faces political opposition. Whereas her government functions with a pseudo parliamentary opposition, Guyana is a true democracy where people have choice of leadership and are not subjected to one-party rule as she presides over. Guyanese have choices. We have a genuine opposition and genuine government collectively representing the people of this country.

I hope Barbadians are taking note as to where their leader stands with regards to justice through the court.

Yours faithfully, Lincoln Lewis

What is obvious is that the APNU+AFC deluded itself into thinking it would have time shift things back in its favour. Not so. Those who were disposed to giving the coalition a chance, were not about to wait two decades to express their disappointment. They did so at the polls, the results of which hang in the balance. At this point Guyana seems condemned to a cycle of frying pan/fire racial politics that tears her people down, rigged elections, and leaders who lack integrity.

Leaders whose lust for power eclipses not only common sense, but rationality to the extent that they are unable to put their people first are the reason the world is also littered with displaced people and refugees. Megalomania and democracy, like oil and water, cannot be mixed.