Tomorrow, Monday, August 28, the people of Guyana will be voting in General and Regional elections. Bishop Francis Alleyne has urged all Guyanese to “pray continually for peace and justice” and has requested Catholic communities in all churches to offer special prayers today, Sunday, August 27.

Bishop Emeritus, Benedict Singh also addressed the people of Guyana in a press statement urging all Guyanese to exercise their franchise and “to do so in a manner that respects the personal dignity of all citizens. I urge that in respecting each other we will also at the conclusion of the elections respect the collective will of the electorate.”

Bishop Singh’s statement underlined the moral obligation to vote. He stated: “Matters affecting the family, education, health, the poor, aged, security, public services and investments, in short all elements of a society, are affected by the actions of elected officials. Therefore, it is important that citizens in a society such as ours view their vote as a sacred duty, to be exercised whenever there is question of selecting a political party.”

Bishop Alleyne’s pastoral letter “ A Call for Action”, dated July 24, expressed the concern for peace during the election period. “As Guyana faces another election, few, because of previous experience, would deny a sense of apprehension at the prospect of unrest, contention and at worst, unprecedented violence”. (Bishop Alleyne’s pastoral letter was written before the slaughter of the five employees of the Kaieteur News).

“An election should resolve the question of representation and thus set the stage for ongoing peace and progress. Many hope for this, but sadly, few that I have spoken with expect this scenario to materialise.”
Bishop Alleyne called for an honest appraisal of each person’s individual responsibility for “the perilous state in which we find ourselves in relation to the electoral process”.

“Since we will all be affected by the fall-out from a turbulent electoral process, we too should all be contributing to solutions…Many of us in word, deed and omission have all but relinquished our democratic and God-given responsibilities to insist on behaviours and values, in ourselves, our families and our communities, that befit our humanity.

If the nation is gripped with fear and unrest and is allowed to be steered off course by a few persons with much narrower interests than the national good, we will all be responsible.”

Bishop Alleyne’s pastoral letter also called attention to the Christian vocation to attend to social issues. “It is indeed true that many Christians, including Catholics, honestly do not see a fundamental connection between their faith and being involved in social issues…Elections is one such issue and the faith we profess invites our participation in a life-giving way.”

He also pledged his support for action in the post-election period. “It is evident that a peaceful election should not be the only action we strive for. These times further reveal the need for serious, honest and open dialogue about changes in the way our society is governed, including electoral reform, increased inclusion and greater effectiveness in service delivery by government agencies.

"I personally pledge my support for and invite the involvement of the entire Catholic community for sustained action in the post-election period around these vital issues that must be addressed by all levels of society, if we are to resolve the fundamental problems that hamper the development of a truly just, peaceful and genuinely prosperous Guyana.”

The Catholic News extends prayerful support for the people of Guyana as they go to the polls tomorrow.