Latest update May 14th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jun 19, 2018 Editorial
It is said that no society, nation or country can achieve social, political and economic stability and sustainable development in an unpredictable environment in which people, regardless of class, level of education, profession or political affiliation, do not conform to the laws of the land and the social norms.
All societies need decent, productive and law-abiding citizens in order to prosper and maintain peace and social harmony. Unfortunately, Guyana barely fits into this type of society.
The adherence to laws and rules, without which there can be chaos, does not come after economic and social development has been attained, but before. Chaos is an unpredictable situation for all countries, because it creates instability and jeopardizes every economic activity and every aspect of life itself.
Guyana has an unpredictable economic, social and political environment that is the antithesis of a business atmosphere that should encourage investment of every kind, the exercise of entrepreneurship, and the safety and comfort of conducting business. What prevails in the country is pandemic indiscipline at all levels of governance, which is a disregard for the laws, rules of civility and the rights of others. No class or sector of our society is exempted from this type of depraved behaviour.
Indiscipline in Guyana takes many forms. For example, driving on the highways and the byways is an unpredictable and unnecessarily risky experience because of the disregard for laws and rules, and for life. Many drivers often operate their vehicles above the speed limit and sometimes under the influence of alcohol.
Many vehicles are not licensed or insured and in some cases, they are operated by people without a driver’s licence or who have purchased their licence. Bus and taxi drivers overtake lines of traffic, in the process driving on the wrong side of the road. Driving through a red light or without acknowledging the presence of a stop sign happens to be a common experience.
Two lanes of cars do not merge by alternate cars, but by might and bluff. No wonder the number of traffic accidents remains high.
More serious is when people act outside of the prescriptive rights law and capture other people’s land and there is no recourse. Other disorderly behaviour includes larceny, armed robbery, extortion, non-payment of electricity bills, the avoidance of Customs duties and non-payment of taxes, corruption and theft of the country’s finances. Not to mention the sexual abuse of children and women, and sexual harassment in the workplace and of the vulnerable in society.
This rampant indiscipline exists because there is inadequate enforcement of laws, and the elites are not put in prison for corruption, theft of the country’s resources and other white collar crimes. Instead, they are offered plea deals to pay fines.
Indiscipline is often at the expense of the public, e.g., itinerant street vendors, men urinating in public and the open use of vulgar language. For some, indiscipline is being justified for putting food on the table by any means necessary. The fact that there is the perception that elements of the police force are corrupt and government workers are slow to act, does not mean that the public has to bribe them in order to get things done.
They should be exposed and, where necessary, shamed. However, people are not ashamed to be engaged in bribery and other illegal activities. The truth is, stealing and crookery have become acceptable in our society. Politicians from both sides of the aisle have condoned indiscipline and other illegal acts by party members because they do not wish to risk losing a vote.
Many law-abiding citizens are forced to join the ranks of the indisciplined, because if they play by the rules, they would be seen as outsiders and could get sidelined by their bosses or the political elites.
Abiding by rules is a prerequisite for socio-economic growth and development. In this respect, we have a far way to go in Guyana.
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