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Oct 18, 2021 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom
Kaieteur News – The present leaders of the PPP/C would not have been where they are today had it not been for 5th October, 1992. It was on that day that the PNC/Rs 24 illegal and fraudulent reign in office was brought to an end as a result of free and fair elections.
The people of Guyana were deprived of the right to free and fair elections for 24 years. And it had to take the ebbing of the Cold War for international pressure to be brought to bear on then President Desmond Hoyte to agree to the counting at the place of polls and for the reconstitution of the Guyana Elections Commission. These two moves along with international monitoring of the elections led to the first democratically-elected government since 1964.
But free and fair elections were almost thwarted. On Elections Day, a mob of PNC supporters assembled outside of the Guyana Elections Commission building, then on Croal Street, began to stone the building, claiming they were disenfranchised.
These protestors were transported to outside of the GECOM headquarters by well-known and identifiable persons, including a businesswoman.
When it became obvious that the PPP/C was going to win those elections, another mob, led by a political strongman, gallivanted down Regent Street and began to loot stores. It also set alight another store, which led to a massive fire and the destruction of that store.
The then President, came under international pressure, to put a stop to the violence which was being orchestrated from within his party. He was told in no uncertain manner that unless action was taken, the US State Department would be informed. A quick-count a statistical method of predicting the outcome of the elections – established that the PNC had lost to the PPP.
In a letter published on 5th October, 2019, former General Secretary of the PPP/C recalled the oppression and hardships which Guyanese faced during the PNC dictatorship. He noted that the decline in living standards had reached unbearable and unacceptable proportions. “Hundreds of Guyanese, associated with, or suspected to be members or supporters of the political opposition were victimised, discriminated against, harassed and beaten up by PNC thugs. Many suffered trumped up charges, wrongful detention, imprisonment and deprivation of their fundamental rights.
Some were shot and killed. The press was muzzled. Hundreds of thousands of Guyanese fled their homeland to seek their fortunes in other lands.”
Rohee in his letter said that, “October 5, 1992 created a democratic environment allowing political parties to openly and freely compete with each other to occupy the seat of government. Ironically, it was because of the democratic openings that the PPP/C lost and the APNU+AFC won the regional and general elections in 2015.” Here at least, was one PPP/C leader who was brave enough to state that the PPP/C did lose the 2015 elections.
October 5, 1992 ushered in an era of free and fair elections. Had it not been for October 5, and the 28-year long struggle for democracy by Cheddi Jagan and the old guard of the PPP, many of the leaders of the government would have been obscure figures in our society.
But October 5, 1992 also had its downside because it also ushered in the PNC/R refusing to accept its defeat. The PNC/R would torment the PPP/C government from 1997 right through to 2006. The greatest tragedy, however, was the long-term effects which saw the tens of thousands of cheerleaders who actually continued to support such dishonest and disreputable politics.
Last year, the PPP/C had to fight tooth-and-nail for electoral democracy to prevail. There were forces that were bent on installing the APNU+AFC in office by fraudulent means.
That attempt failed. And fittingly the PPP/C government opted to commemorate the 28th anniversary of the return to free and fair elections.
In a statement, President Ali acknowledged the significance of 5th October. He recalled what he saw as the epic struggle waged, by the PPP/C, for the restoration of the right of Guyanese to democratically elect their government.
One year after, the 5th October 1992 is a forgotten event. The beneficiaries of the 28-year struggle for democracy did not issue even a short statement on the anniversary of the restoration of democracy.
What a shocking development! Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan must be extremely uneasy in their graves over the present leaderships indifference towards this anniversary.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)
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