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 can only be likened unto absolute 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. She threw into political oblivion, a constitutionally elected ruler. 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 ingredients on democracy.
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 pleasure. Someone had to “stand up for brotherhood and justice” to which the leaders of Caricom did. I felt a state of loftiness of greatness that can only be likened to the spirit of the ancestors who fought and die with their spirit being free. I was proud of small public officials who understood by the instituted theorizing of democracy.
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 of freedom. He held his position a stance that Caricom leaders have not come to understand and accept as a role of theirs. The leaders to whom much has given have subtly betrayed the trust and respect to which we have held them in the past.
Many people have forgotten, than a man’s honour is his/her words and deeds. Hence, how can we hereafter trust the utterance of our leaders on any theorizing, when they had an opportunity and failed miserable in the past. Can their heads be held high? When next, another leader is held hostage like that of the past Haitian president, and another individual is undemocratically installed by whomever, I hope they will accept that faith even if the person is they.
Despite the U.S’s position on the matter, democracy is just peoples’ rule. And so, if they want to install LaTortue’s administration to the helm of Haiti, then they should change the present theorizing that holds on democracy. Otherwise, we (peoples) of Caricom will not accept a leader who is not democratically chosen by the people of that nation. Furthermore, if our Caricom leaders are contemplating betraying us in this manner, then if the people were to hijack the countries to which you reside then it must be sanctioned thereby as principled governance.
Paul Andrew Bourne, Bsc. Economics/Demography
7F Cambridge Street
Franklin Town
Kingston 16
Kingston, Jamaica
West Indies
Tel.: 1 876 841b4931