Local businessman Azruddin Mohamed on Thursday made public the name of his political party – We Invest in Nationhood (WIN) with the jaguar as its symbol. The jaguar is Guyana’s national animal.
However, Chairman of the Guyana’s National Protected Areas Commission (NPAC) Robert Persaud – a former minister under a previous People’s Progressive Party and who now serves as the Foreign Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has objected to the use of the jaguar by Mohamed.
Persaud in a statement on his facebook page said that Guyana’s national symbols represent all of us. “They reflect our shared history, culture, and pride. Using them for political purposes undermines their meaning and divides the very people they’re meant to unite”.
The jaguar he said is more than just a powerful animal. It speaks to who we are as Guyanese; resilient and deeply rooted to this land, adding that for generations it stood as a symbol of national strength and unity.
According to Persaud, turning the national symbol into a party logo strips it of its shared meaning and tries to turn it into something small, partisan, and representing only a few, going further to say that in Guyana, national symbols like the jaguar are not just decoration. They carry weight. They tell stories and they deserve care.
Instead of turning the jaguar into a hollow political brand, let’s honor our national symbols by keeping them where they belong, with all the people of Guyana.
Persaud’s statement was directed to the Guyana Elections Commission. Political Parties have until June 22 to submit the symbols of their party to GECOM.
The constitution says it is the duty of every citizen of Guyana wherever he or she may be and of every person in Guyana to respect the national flag, the coat of arms, the national anthem, the national pledge, and the Constitution of Guyana, and to treat them with due and proper solemnity on all occasions.