Conversation Tree

FR. MALCOLM RODRIGUES S.J.

The life and work of Fr. Malcolm Rodrigues represent and symbolize much more than his individual efforts, courageous though they were. The violent rigging of the 1973 elections facilitated by the seizure of the ballot boxes by the Guyana Defence Force and their sequestration at Camp Ayangana, enabled the PNC to declare a two-third majority victory. This frightening event gave an impetus to political activities. Opposition to the PNC had been led mainly by the PPP through parliamentary debates, political meetings, industrial action by GAWU and modest civil society activity for civil liberties orchestrated mainly by the PPP. The traumatic rigging of the elections, in which two PPP activists, Bholanauth Permanand and Jagan Ramessar, were shot at No. 63 Village, Cornetyne, arrested, and bled to death over hours at the back of a police land rover, shocked the nation. It brought additional forces in the campaign for free and fair elections, civil liberties and human rights. The launching of the WPA in 1975 introduced new and dynamic voices, mobilised additional support and created optimism. Fr. Malcolm Rodrigues was one of these voices.

WOULDN’T IT BE A GREAT DAY FOR GUYANA IF….?

On September 27, 1965, the International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) delivered a 1965-page report into Racial Problems in the Public Service of British Guiana. By letter dated April 6, 1965, Prime Minister Burnham, in his invitation, said to the ICJ that his Government had been “deeply concerned with the need to remove from our society sources of racial disharmony and to promote the right of each individual, whatever his ethnic origin, to have an equal opportunity to play a meaningful part in the community.” He said that his Government’s concern had been to “determine whether such [racial] imbalance as may exist in any particular field can be corrected and, if so, what is the shortest practicable period for such correction.” Burnham may well have been pressured by the UK to invite the ICJ having regard to searing ethnic strife of the early 1960s and the perceived undermining of Indian political representation by the imposition of proportional representation to defeat the PPP.

BLOAT AND BIOMETRICS

Guyanese are well aware of the Opposition allegations that the electoral list is bloated and needs to be ‘cleaned.’ In recent letters to the press, the Attorney General has pointed out, in a more direct manner than I have done in the past, that the electoral list cannot be bloated if the Chief Justice has ruled that names are validly on the list even if the persons cannot be located at their addresses.

VENEZUELA’S PRELIMINARY OBJECTION IS “TOTALLY HOPELESS.”

Although Venezuela’s official position is that it is not participating in the case before the ICJ relating to the controversy arising from the claim that the Arbitral Award of 3 October 1899 is null and void, it seeks every opportunity to intervene. Venezuela now makes a preliminary objection to the effect that the Court lacks jurisdiction to entertain Guyana’s Application on the ground that the United Kingdom is a necessary party to the proceedings.

IS THE US BECOMING IMPATIENT WITH GUYANA?

Why is it necessary for the US Ambassador, Her Excellency Sarah Ann Lynch, to again call for inclusion, long term growth for all nationals and legislation against corruption? Ambassador Lynch’s remarks on the Wilson Centre’s Plaza Centre podcast titled “Guyana’s ‘oil Rush” were reported by Demerara Waves on 9 November. Ambassador Lynch is reported to have said: “It is an ethnically divided society and so they need to focus on inclusion and there have been many efforts to do so so far but they will need to continue to do that at an increased pace.”