Former Guyana Minister of Foreign Affairs Rudy Insanally, has urged President David Granger to remain faithful to his promise of ensuring a recount of votes cast in the March 2, 2020 General and Regional Elections in order to bring an end to the current political crisis gripping the country.
In an open letter to President Granger, the former diplomat warned that governments and individuals “who refuse to comply with the rules and norms of responsible governance are routinely condemned by others – both states and international organizations – and face the sanctions reserved for those found guilty of non-compliance.”
Following is the full letter, which was also copied to the media:
Excellency,
As a retired diplomat and technocrat Minister for Foreign Affairs who has served every government and President since Guyana’s independence, I believe I have earned the right to express to you the concerns which I have over the current crises, both global and national, as well as the disastrous impact which they may have eventually on our country and its people. I believe that you know me well enough to accept my message as impartial, sincere, and intended only to prevent a descent into anarchy.
Not unnaturally, one of my greatest fears is that, having worked for a lifetime to build close and cooperative relations between Guyana and the international community, the resounding furore which followed the recent election and projected us abroad as a racist and undemocratic polity, will most likely reduce our current prestigious world standing to pariah status and public scorn. Not only our domestic policies but also our international initiatives will be seen as mere charade.
As we have seen, governments and individuals who refuse to comply with the rules and norms of responsible governance are routinely condemned by others – both states and international organizations – and face the sanctions reserved for those found guilty of “non-compliance.” Unfortunately, the weight of these sanctions is hardly felt by the rich and the powerful; who have the resources to withstand the impact of the measures imposed rather; it is the poor and disadvantaged people of our country who must suffer the consequences of malfeasance by their rulers. Increasingly, some of the transgressors have been hauled to The Hague for trial before the International Criminal Court and brought to justice for “crimes against humanity.”
Having met you on several occasions and read some of your public statements, I was persuaded that you were committed to take Guyana forward in a united effort to secure our peace and prosperity. It seems, though, from media reports, that your intentions appear to have been thwarted by “forces” within your party. Rumour has gone so far as to suggest that there is a conspiracy, a cabal of your collaborators, who have other aims in mind. Indeed the Chairman of Caricom is reported as believing that this is so. (See her statements to the media). I say no more.
I would like to urge you, to remain faithful to your promise. With the collaboration of all patriotic Guyanese, you may be able to help to remedy the negative publicity which has become a major obstacle to progress in our national life. I believe that considerable damage was done to the Caricom offer of attempting a reconciliation of the parties and to the role of International Observers who had been invited to monitor the elections. As a Guyanese citizen, I could not help but be shocked and ashamed by the treatment meted out to these important personalities by some petty officers involved in the Gecom process. This animosity will probably alienate these representatives from any further participation in any mediation endeavour. Worse yet, the unflattering impressions which many of these dignitaries have formed of our conduct will be hard to erase and will deter any improvement in our relations with our own regional body and indeed the rest of the world.
In the book which I presented to you recently – “The Guyanese Culture: Fusion or Diffusion?”, I have tried to identify some of the reasons for the sad state in which we find ourselves as an independent nation : (1) The psychological damage inflicted by slavery and colonization (divide and rule) (2) a weak and backward political culture – (after years of independence, we are still a nation of warring tribes (3) growing racial division cultivated and exploited by unscrupulous politicians who see it as a means of gaining political power and an opportunity for self-enrichment (4) an unstable economic and social environment (5) the replacement of political democracy by political demagoguery (6) the lack of a positive cultural identity and intolerance of otherness and (7) many inept politicians and officials who are incapable of managing the affairs of their constituency – a small nation of some 700,000 people. This is only a partial diagnosis; other explanations abound and should be taken into consideration.
These challenges will not be easily overcome. It will take good governance by the political leadership with the full support of an informed and civil population to demolish the obstacles to true democracy. The writing is on the wall; unless there is meaningful change in our political culture, we will be washed away by the sea of change which is now on the rise. I remain, hopeful though, that those who hold the reins of power will come together to save our people, many of whom are sick and tired of being misled by their “democratically” elected leaders.
I pray that our two main political parties will unite to transform our society so that all races can be assured of equity, social justice, mutual respect and the protections of the Constitution and the Laws of Guyana. Unless an equitable order is brought into existence, there will be no unity in our land.
With best wishes to you and your colleagues to arrest our decline into chaos and restore peace and security so that we may live free from fear and want.
Yours sincerely,
S.R Insanally
P.S.
Since the matter which I have raised in this letter are of concern to the Guyanese people, I have decided to open it to the media.
