One of the reasons democracy remains the best form of government is because it protects rights, allows free expression, promotes justice and encourages a fair chance in life for everyone. Democracy made it possible for Barack Obama to become the first black American president.
The other side of democracy is dictatorship. This is the system that unfortunately believes that everything comes from the top. In a dictatorship, the evil of extremism thrives.
Our society is still stuck in a transition between the two. We have made progress, of course. Otherwise our lives would be darker. But there are still instances when dictatorship shows through.
Knowing that democracy is the accepted norm in the Constitution, much is said in support of that system. However, in practice, we find that the evil strains of dictatorship still haunt us. And of course the most familiar excuse is that the Constitution allows for deviations ‘that are necessary in a democratic society’!
It is important to note that two components of any dictatorship is a controlled media and a heavy-handed military police. One controls information and the thinking of the people and the other physically threaten, restrain and harm those wanting to exercise their rights. The challenge we still face is to ensure that both institutions become free of all forms of fanaticism and are converted into tools of development and emancipation. This is the transformation our beautiful country needs to go through. I am convinced that the will and the way are there, and we only have to take them, with much courage.
Some sad events this week indicate that the struggle has to continue. Two acts of extremism show that the state is still very much an accomplice to crime and control. The burning of Ms Lydia Jumeau’s car was a callous organised act perpetrated by some individual(s) under clear orders. Everyone knows that Ms Jumeau is a leader in the fight for fair compensation by the residents of La Misère. She has been on the forefront since Day 1. She sits on the residents committee, and she is an embarassment to government. They wanted her to shut up! In the old days she would simply have disappeared.
The other act carried out by the NDEA, under orders from higher up, was the arrest and detention of Mr. Michael ‘Ace’ Sabadin. Mr. Sabadin, a hard-working father of two children was taken into police custody and accused of importing drugs. His house and workplace were searched. But it looks as if they were more interested in his mobile phone. After they checked his mobile phone and broke it, he was released without any charges or other conditions. He had been detained for a day.
The only reason why Mr. Sabadin was detained was because he is very active on Facebook and openly supports the opposition.
Earlier I mentioned the media and the para-military police. We all know that these two institutions are under the tight control of State House. The order to station the SSU at La Misère was given by State House. The order for the SBC not to broadcast our press conference, despite the ruling of the Court of Appeal, was from State House.
The need to break the chains of oppression is more urgent today than yesterday. Today the situation has become more difficult because we have a dictatorship dressed up in democratic linen.
We have to make our country a true democracy. We need an effective and normal state. As true democrats, let us together use the ballot box to give our country the new direction she so badly needs.
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