Forbes Burnham, Mia Mottley , CARICOM family ...

"We applaud Prime Minister Mottley’s leadership, stewardship and partnership with Caribbean states. We commend her, on her assumption of the office of Chairman of the Conference of Heads of Government of the Caribbean Community, for her long-established commitment to Caribbean integration,” President David Granger of Guyana on giving the Order of Roraima to Prime Minister Mia Mottley in February 2020

"“I firstly simply want to say thank you, because I accept this honour, not on my own behalf but on behalf of the people of Barbados. I am conscious that it is the people of our country in Barbados over the course of centuries that have worked with the people of Guyana.” … “The path of our two countries is inseparable and I look forward to our being able to build Mr. President, on that relationship,” Prime Minister Mia Mottley receiving the Order of Roraima from President Granger in February, 2020

Burnham
Forbes Burnham was President for life of Guyana until he died. He and Errol Barrow of Barbados and others created CARICOM. The Burnham jumbie in me likes to imagine that I could walk in any Caribbean space and feel welcome and so, and that when an immigration officer ask me 'What is the purpose of your visit?' I could say something like 'Ow, I come to see me family'.

The Burnham jumbie in me recognises the audacity of forming CARICOM, of putting the headquarters will be in Guyana. The Burnham jumbie in me knows the manipulation of how you can't talk bad about your friends and so, so no CARICOM statements about Walter Rodney, or about rigged elections or anything else when Burnham was president for life until he died.

The Burnham jumbie in me likes when a conversation about domestic violence initiated  by Guyanese includes active participation from citizens from Caribbean countries. The Burnham jumbie in me mek me feel sad that Guyanese deh all over the Caribbean, but that the elections showing how bad things are for us. But 'Guyana' is not the ruling government alone.

And the jumbie in me understands the rage of the PNC supporters who vex bad that Prime Minister Mia Mottley, in honouring her committment to the Caribbean people including those in Guyana who voted at the last elections, has condemned the Chief Elections Officer.

All dem words like sovereignty, out of order, and then the more nasty things which people can come up with to respond to a valid concern that CARICOM observed and watched and need to get on with one woman who is fed up told me ,  'getting on with recovering from COVID and dealing with the impending hurricane season..'

I didn't vote. I am breathing and hugging up the PPP and PNC people so as to deal with the horror that democracy in Guyana is either the PNC and GECOM on some strange numbers game, or slap-and-strip Bheri and his women and men coming into power to continue their version of undermining of democracy.

Sovereignty and interfering in other country business
I was in High school when the sovereign state of South Africa was abusing and killing its black citizens. Apartheid was a legal instrument in the sovereign state of South Africa.
The ANC visited Guyana, schools and so, and we signed petitions.


I was one of the many Guyanese who interfered in the internal affairs of South Africa and condemned apartheid. Forbes Burnham also interfered, and was awarded posthumously for his interference.

And sign petitions , hold protests to condemn when Governments abuse their citizens.. meddling all the damn time.. because injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

I always mind people business. What could be more sovereign than the Caribbean family.. where people did not want to meddle and interfere when abuse and violence take place.  Thankfully, we have laws which say that the sovereignty of the family is not allowed when stupidness is happening.

But in Guyana, we understand no family member, elected or self-appointed has the right to abuse any person in that family.. and dealing with domestic violence has meant undermining these stupid ideas of sovereignty which is invoked to defend madness.

And I did not vote, but this madness being played out by the most powerful man in Guyana today, the Chief Elections Officer, deserves condemnation. (Okay, I also thought no man, how you could come up with numbers for a one seat majority again.. ow man.. you didn't hear when Volda said you not giving Granger no one seat majority.. ow man.. ow .. )



Family

We are family  is the subject of the Press Release after Prime Minister Mottley addressed her colleagues in February 2020. Nobody objected. Mia Mottley stories got plenty likes from some of my facebook friends who now cursing her in various tones and languages - cussing up the USA about their meeting in Jamaica, the common entrance thing.. , her response to Covid and so.

The ABCE countries have not referred to Guyanese as family. I sniggered a bit when I heard of PM Mottley's family thing, wondering about Guyana bench at Barbados, and the Barbadian citizens who had no problem airing their condemnation of the 'Guyanese' on the island who steal, rob, etc etc. - a lot of time Guyanese meaning 'Indians' and so on.

Even with Burnham jumbie in me , I am nervous in Barbados.. that I might be viewed as illegal taking a way people jobs and work and spouses and so.

But family is never perfect.. some we like, some we tolerate, some we hate and want to be far from.


So Mia Mottley invoked  family again, after after visiting Guyana with her colleagues after the March 2 2020 elections..

"Georgetown is the home, the seat of the Caribbean Community. Guyana is a founding member of the Caribbean community and against that background, we are clear that as a community of sovereign Nations we cannot get involved in the in internal processes, but we are family, and family does not stand by and watch others in the family suffer without making themselves available to be able to aid the process."


Family, I have Barbadian family. Barbadians have come to Guyana for work, Guyanese have moved to Barbados.

Rihanna's blood has no boundaries and so it is with so many of our citizens in Guyana, Barbados elsewhere.

I like the idea of being kin to Mia Mottley and to the other Caribbean people who understand why the PNC don't want to give up, and who understand why the PPP will not bring better , but want the elections to be done with so you can carry on with legitimate protests against 'legitimate' government.

I don't want nothing to do with Ralph Gonsalves, but he will be next 'head of the family' .

So I while I can by cynical about statements and so coming from colonisers and so, and the silence coming from others who want the oil and don't care really if people votes count or don't count ..

I am glad that CARICOM leaders calling out madness in Guyana when they see it. The family is dysfunctional.
 

I don't know if 'Guyana' will ask Prime Minister Mottley to return the Order of Roraima.