Kwayana’s ‘fairness’ is a constitutionally protected right
I take the opportunity to comment on Eusi Kwayana’s letter of 18 April, in which he discusses the ‘principle of fairness.’ The contents of Kwayana’s letter are fundamentally polemical. Fairness implies freedom and equality of opportunity. The Constitution of Guyana reminds us that ‘the fundamental rights and freedoms of the individual’ are subject to ‘...limitations of that protection.’ ‘...designed to ensure that the enjoyment of the said rights and freedoms by any individual does not prejudice the rights and freedoms of others or the public interest.’ How much fairer a can the ‘principle of fairness’ be for each Guyanese in a Constitutional context? To understand the ‘principle of fairness’ as expressed by Eusi Kwayana, it is necessary to understand the role of the individual in the evolution of Guyanese political culture. This role should be viewed from two perspectives; the ideological and the socio-political.
In some quarters, Kwayana is recognized as a proponent of social justice, while in others, he is perceived as a supporter of the cause exclusively of Black men and women. Internationally, he is known to be a strong advocate of Pan-Africanism. Kwayana has a long and chequered history in Guyanese politics beginning from the heyday of the anti-colonial to the post-colonial periods. Kwayana has been criticized for many positions he took in the past. More recently, he was called out for not to taking a stand against the attempts by the APNU+AFC to rig our country’s last election. In discussing the ‘principle of fairness’, there are important lessons to be learnt from the 1955-1964 period in our country’s history when the trusted became untrustworthy, and when fairness was replaced by treachery. Usually when Kwayana writes, the contents of his missives are viewed through the prism of race and ethnicity. This is a historical uniqueness peculiar to Kwayana, which to his credit, he has managed to live with to this day. When all is said and done, ‘the principle of fairness’ is more subjective than objective. But the principle of fairness apart, what has kept this country together is its openness and its constant quest for national democracy and good governance in the broader sense of the twin precepts.
Few would disagree that since independence, there has been significant
improvements in the rule of law, democratization of social life, economic growth with social and ecological justice and multi-culturalism with unity in diversity. A free press and the individual’s right to freedom of expression have been the lynchpins of our fledgling democracy. Insignificant as it may seem, it is interesting to note that no political party in Guyana has ever risked to publicly express its commitment to racial/ethno-centric politics as a matter policy.