Not voting in Guyana's democracy
Elections time again. There is a lot of work being done to encourage people to vote.. and that is good. I will fight for anyone's right to vote.
Guyana's version of democracy is not working for me. Iana has been writing about our democracy. I have voted many times, and to no avail. I was born into this democracy. If in 2011, my yard floods after five minutes of rain, two women have to share a hospital bed, and there can be obscene extravagance in the elections campaigns, and people still nervous about elections.. then my votes have been wasted.
My Facebook wall has posts galore telling me who to vote for. My Facebook wall is also full of comments from people - comments which are showing the ugliness of Guyana's democracy and the rejection any idea that we are 'one' people.
I am fascinated at how some PPP supporters deny the misery in Guyana, pretend it does not exist or blame it on the PNC Government of a long time go. I am also fascinated at the PNC supporters who cannot fathom the impact of the flour and dhal ban and how deeply entrenched is that hatred of what the PNC stood for.
It is funny though, how some of the PPP supporters tell me that Ms Burton and Messrs McKoy, Edghill, Bynoe and Hamilton have reformed.. apparently for them reform means joining the PPP even if you might still have some of the old time oppressive tendencies in you. I do not know whether any of the former PNC members in the PPP have apologised to the PPP supporters about the ban on flour and dhal and their role in enforcing those bans.
Mr Henry Jeffrey seems to have reverse reformed. The AFC presents some contradictions to me.. I have a healthy respect for many of the AFC supporters but I have reservations about some of the active leaders.
APNU.. I met some of the volunteers on Thursday.. wearing the PNC caps - one said that they did not have money for new APNU caps. I assured him that don't worry, I think that APNU is actually the PNC on the radical road to reform.
Of all the candidates, I am fascinated by Mr Granger and Mr Roopnarine the most. I was watching Mr Granger in his long sleeve shirt winning the PNC leader campaign. I am horrified though, that they chose to join with Messrs Ramjattan, Ramotar, Persaud, Trotman and Hinds to wear suits and ties in their campaign ads.
Men in suits and ties.. supposed to be respectable.. the colonial mindset that we inherited which as left a young Guyanese believing that he and his brothers and sisters must be whipped as children to be good.
Men in suits and ties.. like the Wall Street bankers that some of Obama's supporters are protesting against now.
If I am voting for change, it is for rejecting some of that crap which is a mix of historical and current cultural impositions and for this kind of majority wins, the rest lose democracy. The defenders of the men in suits will tell me about the majority of Guyanese like to see their leaders in suits (and nice houses according to the nice PPP supporter who said that Mr Jagdeo deserves the presidential palace he is building and will be maintaining at her expense). Many will tell me I am being trivial.
There is this question in our minds now.. not so much as who will win, but will there be violence? So much for this democracy which leaves us terrified and suspicious and for which the political parties play out with their calls for peace amidst their accusations that each others will incite violence. Facebook is good to see how people thinking, it provides this forum for the venting of some of the comments and thoughts.
The people who vote, should not forget that they have other rights and powers and that they should invoke those rights in this democracy. Their responsibilities as citizens does not end with the ink on the finger as they cede their power to the men wearing suits and ties so as to look pleasing to them.
This elections, I am not using my right to vote. In not voting, I am rejecting those divisions which are manifesting themselves in ugly ways and embracing all of those who are manifesting those divisions .
God is being invoked as part of these divisions - nothing is sadder than how God is being invoked this way. However, I cannot leave God out of anything.. God is always there including in all of those persons who I would like to cuss out and who will cuss me for not voting for their party. Those who know that I would like to live in a Guyana in which the PPP has had a chance to go back to opposition and radically reform itself will be happy - one less vote for their opposition.
I will be using my other rights to resist tyranny of any form and invoking my responsibility as a citizen to keep resisting those tyrannies. I hope that other citizens will do the same, whether they vote or not.
Guyana's version of democracy is not working for me. Iana has been writing about our democracy. I have voted many times, and to no avail. I was born into this democracy. If in 2011, my yard floods after five minutes of rain, two women have to share a hospital bed, and there can be obscene extravagance in the elections campaigns, and people still nervous about elections.. then my votes have been wasted.
My Facebook wall has posts galore telling me who to vote for. My Facebook wall is also full of comments from people - comments which are showing the ugliness of Guyana's democracy and the rejection any idea that we are 'one' people.
I am fascinated at how some PPP supporters deny the misery in Guyana, pretend it does not exist or blame it on the PNC Government of a long time go. I am also fascinated at the PNC supporters who cannot fathom the impact of the flour and dhal ban and how deeply entrenched is that hatred of what the PNC stood for.
It is funny though, how some of the PPP supporters tell me that Ms Burton and Messrs McKoy, Edghill, Bynoe and Hamilton have reformed.. apparently for them reform means joining the PPP even if you might still have some of the old time oppressive tendencies in you. I do not know whether any of the former PNC members in the PPP have apologised to the PPP supporters about the ban on flour and dhal and their role in enforcing those bans.
Mr Henry Jeffrey seems to have reverse reformed. The AFC presents some contradictions to me.. I have a healthy respect for many of the AFC supporters but I have reservations about some of the active leaders.
APNU.. I met some of the volunteers on Thursday.. wearing the PNC caps - one said that they did not have money for new APNU caps. I assured him that don't worry, I think that APNU is actually the PNC on the radical road to reform.
Of all the candidates, I am fascinated by Mr Granger and Mr Roopnarine the most. I was watching Mr Granger in his long sleeve shirt winning the PNC leader campaign. I am horrified though, that they chose to join with Messrs Ramjattan, Ramotar, Persaud, Trotman and Hinds to wear suits and ties in their campaign ads.
Men in suits and ties.. supposed to be respectable.. the colonial mindset that we inherited which as left a young Guyanese believing that he and his brothers and sisters must be whipped as children to be good.
Men in suits and ties.. like the Wall Street bankers that some of Obama's supporters are protesting against now.
If I am voting for change, it is for rejecting some of that crap which is a mix of historical and current cultural impositions and for this kind of majority wins, the rest lose democracy. The defenders of the men in suits will tell me about the majority of Guyanese like to see their leaders in suits (and nice houses according to the nice PPP supporter who said that Mr Jagdeo deserves the presidential palace he is building and will be maintaining at her expense). Many will tell me I am being trivial.
There is this question in our minds now.. not so much as who will win, but will there be violence? So much for this democracy which leaves us terrified and suspicious and for which the political parties play out with their calls for peace amidst their accusations that each others will incite violence. Facebook is good to see how people thinking, it provides this forum for the venting of some of the comments and thoughts.
The people who vote, should not forget that they have other rights and powers and that they should invoke those rights in this democracy. Their responsibilities as citizens does not end with the ink on the finger as they cede their power to the men wearing suits and ties so as to look pleasing to them.
This elections, I am not using my right to vote. In not voting, I am rejecting those divisions which are manifesting themselves in ugly ways and embracing all of those who are manifesting those divisions .
God is being invoked as part of these divisions - nothing is sadder than how God is being invoked this way. However, I cannot leave God out of anything.. God is always there including in all of those persons who I would like to cuss out and who will cuss me for not voting for their party. Those who know that I would like to live in a Guyana in which the PPP has had a chance to go back to opposition and radically reform itself will be happy - one less vote for their opposition.
I will be using my other rights to resist tyranny of any form and invoking my responsibility as a citizen to keep resisting those tyrannies. I hope that other citizens will do the same, whether they vote or not.
So - this will be action though inaction? How does inaction help your cause? Otherwise, I agree with most of your comments above.
ReplyDeleteNo. it is not inaction, far from it.. I believe that there must be action utilising all that is guaranteed to us as human beings to ensure that we can achieve our potential.. we have not exhausted all the powers available to us to deal with the various issues. It will be tiring and exhausting..
ReplyDeleteVidya,
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to rebut an argument with such clarity. I am pro-vote even in a democracy as messed up as ours...and when new leaders emerge on our political stage in years to come, wink* you'll embrace the right to vote once again (i have a feeling).
I still have one last article to write and its on why people need to vote. Consider yourself exempt from my personal pleadings
Lol.. Iana , but given the issue of Mills, and the tyranny of the majority how are you going to deal with the issue of voting for losers
ReplyDeleteVidya, I'm with you on much of this but I think not voting is akin to voting for anarchy. When one votes, one is voting because one has hope. In the end there is a civilised model we're following which has major flaws but it's hard to see a better alternative. Resources are too scarce for complete freedom and anarchy will not save those you want to help. The choice isn't inspiring but you're in the game and you've got to put your chips down. There isn't a winner or loser, it's just a choice between what we want (a functioning system based on law and order) and a dark place without hope. I totally respect your decision though - I suspect many feel the way you do and you're right, voting is just one part of civic duty.
ReplyDelete