EDITORIAL:DEMOCRACY IS DEALT A BLOW ON THE HEAD

EDITORIAL

DEMOCRACY IS DEALT A BLOW ON THE HEAD

The National Assembly met on Tuesday 3rd October, last week, and amended the Broadcasting Act 1992 with the sole aim of preventing political parties from starting their own radio and/or television stations. In giving his backing to the bill President Michel has demonstrated his sensitivity to free speech and the right for the population to have access to information and points of view different from that of the ruling party. In doing so Michel has now sowed the seed of discord and complete mistrust in his government amongst the population. The people’s thirst for information and open debates on matters of national importance cannot be ignored any longer. This amendment to the Law, the Broadcasting Act 1992, is further proof if it was ever needed that Michel’s promise of open and accountable government is only a figment of his party’s imagination or a myth, which they want us to hold on to, whilst the country is ran as if it is private property.

President Michel will have to find a way to open up the airwaves and allow for alternative point of view on SBC TV and the Radio stations, if this change in the law is to be accepted. There are at least 46% of the population, over twenty-five thousand people (25,000) out there waiting for their contribution to society to be acknowledged by the Government of President Michel. This Government cannot continue to deny almost fifty percent of the population and the electorate at large fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution. If for some reason the leaders in the ruling party do not have a copy of the Constitution (3rd Republic) they had better get one quick because it is going to get stormy from now on. Thirty years is a very long time for a population to suppress its desire of a free and democratic form of government.

The opposition has been more than tolerant in waiting for effective democratic changes, but the ruling party believes it can still conduct the business of the people in a manner synonymous to the One-Party State era. Fifteen years down the multi-party road the people must be accorded their right and wish of hearing from all political stakeholders through the State media. This is a fundamental need in a multi-party democratic country. Even if Ramkalawan, Ferrari and others are beaten to a pulp, the issue which has now become a stumbling block for peace and stability will not go away. In fact it is making it worse.

President Michel must act in the manner expected of a head of State to diffuse this situation before it gets out of hand. We will no doubt “judge him by his actions.”

THE COMMISSIONER OF POLICE GOT IT WRONG

The Police Force has thus far given very poor accounts of what really took place outside the National Assembly last week (Tuesday) to justify their brutal and unnecessary attack on opposition leaders and a group of not more than forty supporters, waiting outside the Assembly to sign a petition in protest of an amendment to a piece of legislation designed to curb democracy. In future Commissioner Gerard Waye-Hive must be very careful in pronouncing wide spread statements before conducting an enquiry to ascertain the facts. He needs to be looking at all the evidence and hear from all parties before he can make a balanced assessment of what really took place there. In his haste to deliver what was expected of him by his political masters the new Commissioner has succeeded in undermining his own position before the people he took an oath to serve without ill will or favour!

It is very important Commissioner Waye-Hive avoids the pattern his predecessor, Mr. Andre Kilindo, established during his term of office, because if he does it will cause him to lose the confidence and respect of the people totally. The new Commissioner must develop the will and skill to remain quiet and calm when faced with a difficult situation, and refrain from passing judgement until all the facts are known. The new Commissioner unfortunately is being seen, like Kilindo, to rubber stamp the will of the executive in order to be on the side of ‘might rather than right’.

The Commissioner of Police has demonstrated through the interviews he has already given to the press that he is being led rather than him leading the investigation on incidents at the National Assembly last week. The office of the highest policeman in the country must remain impartial under all circumstances and must be seen to apply the Law of the land fairly and sensibly without prejudice to anyone group or person in particular. Information being communicated to the public by the police must be factual in order not to frustrate or confuse the situation. The fact that the President himself is now calling for an independent investigation in the matter, to be conducted possibly by someone from outside the country, puts the impartiality of the local force in serious doubts.

State violence must never again be condoned in this country!