2020 as we said at the commencement has been history making for several reasons. Undoubtedly, for us as Guyanese, 2020 will be an inglorious year in our history books. It will go down as when there was a barefaced attempt to hijack our democracy and disregard the will of our people. Worse yet the attempt to rig an election took place when the cameras were rolling and the world was a witness. The dastardly attempt to erase the hard-won rights of our people is something that no right-thinking Guyanese can countenance much less support. Yet, unbelievably, we saw men and women who were held in high esteem not only supporting but actively defending the attempts to besmirch our democratic character.
Had the wrongdoers succeeded in their nefarious plans, the developments we as a country has recorded and the progress we as a people have benefitted from would have disappeared in front our very eyes. That was the path a greedy few choose to take the country and its people on to safeguard their cushy perks. Yet these very people walk around calling themselves leaders. We ask how they can deem themselves leaders when they were prepared to throw under the bus the well-being and welfare of the Guyanese people to satisfy their self-interests.
The entire imbroglio exposed the several shortcomings in our elections machinery and how a compromised bunch could have hijacked an entire democracy. Indeed, we contend that those who actively conspired and participated in the attempts to deface democracy should not be anywhere near the elections machinery ever again. They have shown their partisan hands and cannot be trusted or expected for that matter to deliver credible, free and fair elections in our country. Undoubtedly, the entire episode warrants a proper and full investigation and those culpable be made to answer for their improprieties.
The entire elections imbroglio is yet another stark reminder of the fragility of our democracy and the preciousness of our rights. We should not allow anyone ever again to seek to hijack our franchise. As Guyanese we must also play an active role to not only defend but consolidate our democracy as we seek to protect it from those who seek to tarnish it for their own interests.
