‘Betrayed by our leaders’

Paul Andrew Bourne, B.Sc. (Hons.); Dip. Edu


As a partial new convert of democracy, which is primarily due to the constant indoctrination of Westerners' theorizing on the matter, I have come to believe that the United States' (US) in-depth conviction on the issue is freedom. Was I naïve? As this concept is the furthest from the truth. The mother of all theorizing on human democracy hoisted a democratically elected leader some time ago and many political and civil leaders failed to adequately address the matter. The US threw into political oblivion, a constitutionally elected ruler from his native land into another country on a very different continent. To make matter worse, she has sanctioned an undemocratically elected individual to the coveted position of Prime Minister. The US without regards to the people of Haiti sanctioned a ruler without the prerequisite ingredients of democracy - ?'people rule'.

When Caricom leaders "stood firm" that they were not about to endorse an undemocratically elected individual as the rightful head of Haiti, I was brought to tears of intellectual pleasure. Someone had to "stand up for brotherhood and justice" I said. This appeared to be the position of the leaders of Caricom. I felt a state of loftiness of greatness that can only be likened to the spirit our ancestors who fought and die with their spirit being free.

I was proud that some small public officials, who understood the instituted theorizing of democracy, challenged the viewpoint of the US. Notwithstanding their earlier stance, Caricom Ministers have failed to accept the institutional framework of Nelson Mandela. Although he was aging yearly, the decades did not change his vision of the future. He kept an unswerving commitment that Africa had to be free. The possibility of freedom to which he offered himself appeared illusive but he was still committed to the struggle. He held his position, a stance that Caricom leaders have not come to understand and accept as their role nation building. Those leaders to whom much has given have subtly betrayed the trust and respect of the peoples of the region.

Many people have forgotten that a man's honour is his/her words, and also in his/her deeds. Hence, how can we hereafter trust the utterance of our leaders on any theorizing, when they had an opportunity and failed miserable in its execution in the past. Can their heads ever be held high? I wish when a next leader is held hostage like that of the past Haitian president, and whoever undemocratically installs another individual, that they accept the faith even in the person of them.
Despite the U.S position on the matter, democracy is just people's rule. Otherwise, we of Caricom will not accept a leader who is not democratically chosen by the people of that nation.