Forty years of being a Republic Kaiteur News Feb 23, 2010 Editorial Related Forty years ago, Guyana took the bold step to move away from the Monarchy and to manage its own affairs. This move was on the cards four years earlier when Guyana attained independence. On the occasion it had its own flag and other symbols of nationhood but it was still tied to the monarchy. The result was that the highest office in the land was the Governor-General who was accountable to the Queen. When laws were passed in the country his was the power to assent to it. He therefore could have stymied any effort at changing situations and laws in Guyana. It must have been this that caused Burnham to recognise that if the country is to be truly free then it must be able to make its own decisions in an unfettered way. The result is that Guyana became a republic and raised eyebrows in the region. It was some time before Trinidad and Tobago followed in Guyana’s footsteps although from an examination of the two countries today, one would be hard pressed to believe that Guyana was at one time the shining beacon of the Caribbean. February 23, 1970 was a landmark date because it meant that Guyana would have been able to determine its own way forward. It was February 23, 1970 that allowed Guyana to establish its final court of appeal. It allowed the nation to relax for at least one day and take stock; it allowed for designers to showcase their creative abilities; and above all it helped the nation remember that a group of slaves two centuries earlier had waged a struggle to free themselves and actually set up the first independent state in the western world. Berbice was indeed the first free state, ahead of the United States and before Haiti. This situation did not last because the slaves not only disagreed on the way forward but they allowed themselves to be duped by the very people they had defeated. Much has changed since February 23, 1970. In the days following the declaration of the republic the nation decided to recognise all those who contributed to its continued existence. These were the national awards. They were announced on the eve of the republic anniversary and the awardees were invested on the occasion of the anniversary of the country’s independence. This is no more the case. The first major shift occurred with the decision to remove the traditional flag raising to the Public Buildings. This might not have been a bad decision since the new location was central to the country’s history. It was from there that the colonial rulers passed the death sentence and hanged those of our ancestors who dared to challenge the establishment. What was unexplainable was the decision to drop the national awards. This feature was one that Guyanese looked forward to. It told them that the nation recognized them and often spurred everyone to greater efforts. Farmers, prominent people, and even those whose selfless deeds either helped save a life or contributed in a meaningful way were recognised. For a few hours in May, on the occasion of the independence anniversary, all rubbed shoulders—the rich and the poor; the meek and the humble. After 1992, the new government did introduce a shift. The awards were announced in May and made in October to coincide with the accession of the government to office. By dispensing of the award ceremony it could be that the government is also seeking to downplay what was once a significant event, the accession to office after nearly three decades in the political wilderness. That apart, in the past forty years many things have happened. For example, in pursuit of regional unity Guyana has decided to forego its decision to maintain its highest forum of appeal. It not only helped form the Caribbean Court of Justice, it also secured two seats and helps fund the operation of this Court which is now Guyana’s court of last resort. We are celebrating a significant milestone but along the way we seem to have abandoned or destroyed significant milestones and symbols. It is not too late for us to reverse the negative trend. Indeed, we also have significant achievements crow about. If we continue to neglect these things then we are doomed to repeating mistakes or to reinventing the wheel—an exercise in time wasting. A © page from: Guyana: Land of Six Peoples