I do not expect that there will be only saints and no sinners in the National Assembly. Stones will be thrown and even those who are considered to be infirm will stumble. What I expect is that the needs of the Guyanese people will be prioritized and so plans to improve our lives will be the focus. What I expect is that our representatives will display ornament. I am not saying that National Assembly members should hold hands and sing ‘kumbaya’ or that their speeches should be silent. Conflict is good for progress. I expect they will vigorously argue the issues and eventually the best decisions will emerge in the interest of the Guyanese people.
But what I have often seen in the National Assembly is disgrace. From members hurling insults and yelling at each other to attention seekers who scream and shout as if they are broken. A sex toy was on display during this week’s budget debate. It must be noted that there is a ban on the import of such devices into Guyana. In my view the ban does not make sense, but that is another discussion. The person who held the toy tried to point out an error from the previous government that allegedly replaced the sex toy with a medical chest vibrator.
It was reported that homophobic, sexist and racist comments had been made in the National Assembly. Government and opposition parliamentarians took jabs together. It was so understandable that I persuaded myself for a while that what I was reading was satire. The House Speaker was probably overwhelmed.
The conduct of the MPs who chose to participate in the tomfoolery is unforgivable. There is no place for such idiocy, trivial and tasteless when you make decisions on behalf of the Guyanese people. If there is so much toxicity in government and opposition, which is supposed to lead by example, how can we be surprised that our society is in chaos?
How can any member of parliament choose to throw out homophobic comments when government and opposition supporters of all sexual orientations?
How can any member of parliament choose to hurl sexist remarks and believe that he respects women and human rights?
How can any member of parliament hurl racist remarks when they have established themselves as the foundations of a united Guyana? It’s ridiculous but not funny. The words that come out of the mouths of many of these politicians about national unity conflict with their actions.
We, the Guyanese people, together have kept holding these leaders accountable for too long. Many who support the government or opposition will never speak out no matter how poor their decisions seem, or how selfish, dishonest, prejudiced and partisan their actions may be. Just because one supports a government or opposition does not mean that one cannot criticize them when they err. But I understand that some may be afraid of losing their privileges. I understand that some cannot or will not speak because their moral compasses are lost or damaged. But it is our silence and excuses that have created some of the God complexes we see in our leadership. Blind party loyalty and voting for the best oppressors are reasons we are still trying to find our way nearly 55 years after Independence.
I expect strong leadership. I do not want weak or troubled people to represent me. I expect they will use their voices out loud to argue on behalf of the Guyanese people. To see that we benefit from the best this country has to offer and not foreign powers or those in government and opposition and their family and friends. I know that those who lead this nation must be prepared to fight battles that the common man can never imagine. What the Guyanese people know may be just a smidgen of the battles being fought over Guyana. We may not know how much of our sovereignty might have been sold. The announcement made by the US embassy a few weeks ago that we have agreed for Taiwan to set up an office here is an example. The fact that this was abolished the very next day after we were tricked by China is shocking. Are we truly a sovereign nation with complete control over our affairs? What are they hiding from us? When is it ever appropriate for the US embassy to make any announcements on behalf of the Guyanese people?
I thought about the young people who observe the behavior of some of our members of the National Assembly and probably the lessons they learn. Although they may learn valuable lessons from those members who make great presentations, who are great debaters, and who are honest and have the best interests of the Guyanese people, too often it seems that the unpleasant acts of the others outweighing the beams of lights found in the National Assembly.
Is this the best we can do in Guyana? Do we really think that some of the people we have chosen to represent us, deserve to stand up for us? What do young people aspiring to be leaders think when our current leaders make such poor decisions and demonstrate their indecency in the National Assembly?
There is so much that worries me about Guyana. There is a Guyanese struggle involving poverty, social injustices and immorality. The struggles are about race relations.
The battle here is complicated. Why do some of us continue to excuse our politicians when nothing about our personal lives has improved because of their poor decisions or lack of care? There is no government or opposition to all the people. They give party loyalty above all else. They will stand in the National Assembly and pretend to fire public servants by calling them government blockers. Are we to accept that only supporters of the political party in power are to work in government? The biggest obstacles to moving forward in Guyana are not public servants or other ordinary citizens; the biggest obstacles are the politicians who seem to have a herd mentality. They may seem to be sitting on different sides of the table, but under the surface, they are all pretty much the same.