Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Aug 05, 2011 Letters
Dear Editor,
Mr. Francis Carryl completely misunderstands and deliberately misstates my position on colonialism, the CCJ and the Privy Council. I wrote at least four related letters on the subject, with all of them very clearly stating my position on the issues.
For clarification, I never advocate for the return of colonial rule or for or against the CCJ and the PC. I am an advocate for democracy and democratic principles. I spent over 20 years of my life fighting Guyana’s dictatorship and for the restoration of democracy and believe there should be participatory democracy.
If the White man in the developed countries could have faith in the voters to make a decision, why can’t we in the non-white world in making major decisions.
In my letters, I made a simple point supported with compelling reasons that states should allow their people to vote on decisions relating to major undertakings like breaking from colonial rule, the CCJ, joining Caricom, etc.
In Caribbean’s history, no colony before its independence, ever granted its people an opportunity to vote on its status. Ironically, it is the developed world (the White man countries) that allow their people to vote on major decisions.
Just last Monday, citizens of Long Island were asked to vote on whether they approve the construction of a stadium for ice hockey. The voters rejected the stadium. In New York City, voters were asked if there should be term limits and approved it overwhelmingly. In California, voters were asked if they approve of tax increases and they voted against the measure.
In New Jersey, voters were asked if they support an increase in house rates to fund education and they said no.
Why can’t we have similar votes in Guyana instead of Carryl making a case of the self- serving elite making decisions for us. In Guyana, Burnham changed appeals to the Privy Council without the nation’s approval. Burnham replaced the British-imposed constitution with his own constitution.
In 2000, the opposition demanded term limits for the Presidency and the parliament approved. The elite demanded independence from Britain and the British agreed granting Guyana independence under a fiddled constitution.
Carryl has no problem with those measures. I am against the method in which these measures were executed. As a democrat, we need to have a vote on each one of them. All I advocated for, in my letters, is let the voters choose between Burnham and the independence constitution, between the CCJ and the British PC.
With regards to the return of colonial rule, I made it crystal that we are not going back. But if we were to hold a vote, opinions are in favor of the return of colonial rule just as it is in Jamaica, Barbados, St. Vincent. etc. I recall voters were asked if they wished for Barbados to sever links to the Queen as head of state and they said no.
All the imperial countries have encouraged their colonies to break free but all of them are rejecting freedom, including Puerto Rico, Tahiti, Aruba, Turks and Caicos, Cayman, Bermuda, etc. People have lost faith in their own rulers in the colonies and former colonies, including in India and South Africa.
They felt their lives would have been better under colonial rule. In South Africa, people feel life was better under apartheid. Many Blacks and Colored are joining the White Party in South Africa because they say the White rulers treated them better than the current non-White rulers.
It does not mean they want to return to apartheid rule. But it clearly shows peoples’ lack of confidence in rule by their own “mattie” and prefer the White man.
Carryl quoted from the elite who advocates an end to appeals to the PC. That is precisely what I oppose. The elite should not make decisions for the population. Allow the people to vote on these major decisions. If the population votes in favor of the CCJ, then so be it. At least it would have been democratically rather imposed on the people like Carryl is advocating.
Vishnu Bisram
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