As we enter the third week of President Irfaan Ali’s administration, commentary on the five-month fiasco has ebbed and flowed; notably absent in all of the dialogue to date is praise for the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) and the professional behaviour exhibited by the officers and ranks of that disciplined service. The GDF to its credit successfully navigated that treacherous, politically-charged environment that could have drawn them (GDF) into confrontation with the forces aligned with democracy and to even greater credit, Brigadier Godfrey Bess, Chief of Staff (ag) issued a public statement to support the new commander in chief and the democratically elected government.
We (Guyanese) have been subject to countless arguments by columnists, letter writers, and denizens of watering holes to the effect that the GDF is ethnically unbalanced and would act to keep the Granger/APNU+AFC administration in power at all costs. I have never seen evidence of this and have pointedly refrained from ever making that argument, I am thankful that I relied on logic for my writings and can only hope that those who made those false assumptions are now willing to retract those statements and join in support of the GDF and expansion and enhancement of the role it (the GDF) plays in Guyana’s security and development.
Shakespeare famously said, “The evil that men do lives after them; the good is oft interred with their bones.” This cannot be one of those times; all Guyanese should take a few moments to recognize the democracy we cherish is a fragile chalice and for it to remain unbroken we need a GDF that is unbiased and professional, thankfully this is what we have and all Guyanese can take much pride in the force and its growth and evolution. Let us not be shy in singing praises for the (much maligned) institution and its exemplary conduct throughout those testing times.