By Paul Andrew Bourne, M.Sc. (pending);B.Sc. (Hons), UWI; 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 concrete fact. Was I naïve? As this concept is the furthest from the established academic theorizing. 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 within international fora. The US threw into political oblivion, a constitutionally elected head of state from his native land into another country, which is in a very different continent. To make matter worse, she has sanctioned an undemocratically elected individual to the coveted position of Prime Minister of the same nation. This US stance was taken without ‘democracy’. As the people of Haiti did not sanction such a ruling. Furthermore, it deepens the socio-political divides instead of narrowing it.
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. As someone had to “stand up for brotherhood and justice” I said. This seemingly was the position of the leaders of Caricom. I felt a state of loftiness, a greatness that can only be likened to the spirit of our ancestors who fought and die with their spirit free.
I was proud that some small public officials understood the instituted theorizing on democracy. Furthermore, they 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 increased but those years did not change his vision of a free South Africa. He kept an unswerving commitment that the Africans had to be free some day. The possibility of freedom appeared illusive but he was still committed to the vision, a s he was the issue a worthwhile struggle. He held his position, a stance that Caricom leaders have not come to understand and accept. I had hoped that they knew what their role was to nation building but those leaders to whom much has given subtly betrayed my trust.
Many people have forgotten that a man’s honour is in his/her words, and more so in his/her deeds. Hence, how can we hereafter trust the utterance of our leaders on any theorizing, when they had an opportunity to display to the people that they are stalwart of integrity as they failed miserable to deliver in the past? Can they ever hold their heads high? I wish when a next leader is held hostage like the past Haitian president, irrespective of whomever, that they accept that faith.
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.