West Indies Cricket Fans Forum
GDF behaved exemplarily during the five-month crisis
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.
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About the author
Guyana Diaspora Forum
We have a large database of Guyanese worldwide. Most of our readers are in the USA, Canada, and the UK. Our Blog and Newsletter would not only carry articles and videos on Guyana, but also other articles on a wide range of subjects that may be of interest to our readers in over 200 countries, many of them non-Guyanese We hope that you like our selections.
It is estimated that over one million Guyanese, when counting their dependents, live outside of Guyana. This exceeds the population of Guyana, which is now about 750,000. Many left early in the 50’s and 60’s while others went with the next wave in the 70’s and 80’s. The latest wave left over the last 20 years. This outflow of Guyanese, therefore, covers some three generations. This outflow still continues today, where over 80 % of U.G. graduates now leave after graduating. We hope this changes, and soon.
Guyanese, like most others, try to keep their culture and pass it on to their children and grandchildren. The problem has been that many Guyanese have not looked back, or if they did it was only fleetingly. This means that the younger generations and those who left at an early age know very little about Guyana since many have not visited the country. Also, if they do get information about Guyana, it is usually negative and thus the cycle of non-interest is cultivated.
This Guyana Diaspora Online Forum , along with its monthly newsletter, aims at bringing Guyanese together to support positive news, increase travel and tourism in Guyana and, in general, foster the birth of a new Guyana, which has already begun notwithstanding the negative news that grabs the headlines. As the editor and manager of the publication, I am committed to delivering Blog entries and Newsletters that are politically balanced, and focused on the positive ideas we wish to share and foster among Guyanese.
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