Most historic and significant - Independence Day
PPP statement on the attainment of the 38th Independence anniversary
Guyana Mirror
May 28-9, 2004
The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) joins with the people of Guyana in celebrating the 38th anniversary since the attainment of independence from the mother country, Great Britain. This ended some three centuries of colonial rule. There can be no doubt that Independence Day is one of the most historic and significant dates in the political calendar of this country. }
The PPP recalls its own role in the struggle for Independence. Indeed, one of the first tasks that the PPP set itself when it was formed in January 1950 was to end colonial rule and win Independence for the country. It is worth noting too that the Political Affairs Committee, the forerunner of the PPP had, as its major platform the issue of political independence for the then British Guiana.
The granting of Independence to Guyana in May 1966 is therefore regarded by the party as a fitting tribute to our foreparents and subsequent generations who were forced to endure the brutality and indignation of plantation life. As we reflect on this historic day, we must pay homage to those before us who struggled valiantly and defiantly to bring freedom and dignity to this great nation of ours. We must spare a moment to reflect on the heroic struggles waged by freedom fighters such as Cuffy, Accabre, Atta and others who struck what could be described as the first blows against oppression and slavery and which blazed the trail for our ultimate triumph. We must recall the heroic workers who were killed at Rose Hall, Leonora, Ruimveldt and Enmore all of whom struck blows for our freedom.
The struggle against oppression and for the right to govern ourselves was part of the fight for freedom all over the world. In this regard, the PPP wishes to pay tribute to the epic battles for freedom and independence waged by other nations including the American War of Independence, the Chinese Revolution, the Russian Revolution, the Indian Independence struggle and the African liberation struggles. These were to shake the entire colonial edifice and ultimately led to the de-colonization processes of the 1960’s, which saw the granting of Independence to several countries of Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean.
Regrettably, in our case, the joy and euphoria of Independence was damned somewhat by the intrigues and machinations of the imperial powers in close collaboration with local reactionaries to frustrate the granting of Independence to the country out of political and ideological considerations. Despite a solemn commitment by the British Government to grant political independence to the country under whichever party won the elections of 1961, the British Government somersaulted on its promise and refused to grant independence to the country under the PPP administration. Those of course were the days of the Cold War when small countries such as Guyana became victims of super power rivalry. Instead of the conferral of independence as promised, the British Government imposed a fiddled constitutional arrangement which was described by a former British Prime Minister as “one riddled with disadvantages quite unknown in any other country.”
It was this “fiddled” arrangement that saw the removal of the PPP from office in the elections of 1964 held under a modified constitutional model of Proportional Representation and the Catapulting of the PNC-UF coalition government into power. As expected, Britain granted independence to the colony under the new administration less than two years later. Because of the contrived nature under which independence was granted, it turned out to be little more than cosmetic in the early period. The true meaning of independence was negated by rigged elections, faltering economy and an increasingly authoritarian regime, which for all practical purposes had made a mockery of independence. Little wonder the significance of independence was downgraded by the PNC to a point in which the date was not even considered a national holiday. It took the return of the PPP/Civic administration to once again elevate the status and significance of Independence Day to its rightful place by declaring the day a national holiday!
Be that as it may, the importance and significance of independence status should not be lost to Guyanese. Unlike the pre-independence period, we are today the masters of our own destiny. We no longer are required to pay obedience to a foreign power. It does not follow from the above that the challenges to nationhood and for economic and social justice are any less severe. We still have to confront the challenges of an international environment that is fiercely competitive and stacked against the poorer countries. The need for a New Human Global Order is as relevant today as it ever was. True independence and national sovereignty is being undermined by global institutions, which dictate policies that are often inimical to the needs of developing countries. At the local level, the ethnic scars of the pre-independence period are still to be fully healed. The situation is made even more difficult by incessant appeals to race and ethnicity by opposition forces and their affiliated “talk show hosts” who prey on our ethnic diversity to stir up strife and discord out of narrow political self interests. The PPP calls on these elements to desist forthwith from such actions which are not only inimical to the national interests but serve to negate the sacrifices of our ancestors who gave their lives so that their dreams of a prosperous and cohesive society could be realized. At the political level, there are fresh attempts to reverse our democratic and social gains unleashed by the October 1992 elections, which saw democracy restored to the country after an absence of nearly three decades of PNC misrule. The PPP is proud of the role it has played and continues to play in the creation of an independent, just and prosperous society. The Party notes with satisfaction the enormous strides, which have been made since its assumption to office in October 1992 in all facets of national life attempts by the PNC/R to hold back the wheels of progress. Never before had there been so much emphasis on human development. This is manifested in better schools for our children, improved delivery of health care, homes for the homeless, an enhanced supply of potable water, better roads to name but a few. All of these translate into a better quality of life for the Guyanese people. At the governance level, tremendous progress was made in terms of greater inclusivity and participatory democracy at the Parliamentary and sector committee levels. A number of Constitutional Commissions have been set up such as the Ethnic Relations Commission, the Indigenous People’s Commission, among others, to protect minority interests and to end/discourage discriminatory practices. The PPP once again takes this opportunity to salute the people of Guyana on this historic occasion and remains optimistic that the nation will continue to rise to the challenges, not withstanding the odds.