THE NEXT ELECTIONS: THE CHARACTER OF THE NATION WILL RECEIVE A FINAL DEFINITION

THE definition of who we are as a people will be laid bare by the next elections results. Are we a nation that can resent tribal inclinations and vote on issues and the content of the candidates’ character or are we a people who cannot escape blind tribal loyalty and are forever doomed to this diabolical phenomenon?

It is useful to firstly elucidate some historical context. Since the split of the PPP in 1955 which created a Jaganite PPP and a Burnhamnite PPP, race and tribalism made their entry onto the Guyana political stage. This development was fully consolidated when Guyanese politics emerged as Indo-Guyanese, in mostly rural areas, in full support of the PPP and Afro-Guyanese, in urban areas, supporting the PNC. From this point on, the nation has been held hostage by this divide which has been amplified and mythologized to benefit the major political parties. For decades, the narrative has been about the ethnic numbers and ethnic votes. Free and fair elections were almost foregone conclusions; the PPP has always boasted ‘we have the ethnic number’.

As a consequence, this has led to a crystallised view of Guyanese politics. Some see it as an ethnic census. Some are adamant that the PPP will always will elections due to racial voting patterns. Other have taken a more optimistic stance, arguing there is a large swathe of Guyanese who are prepared to vote for political parties based on their policies and content of the character of their leaders. The two schools of thought have had their watershed vindication in the modern era of Guyanese politics.

The school of thought that says Guyana is doomed to race would use the example of Desmond Hoyte’s failure to be elected by arguably the best elections team ever comprised in 1997. This team was led by great PNC leader once dubbed ‘Desmond Persaud’ because of his commitment to social cohesion, there was diversity with the likes of Guyanese giants such as Stanley Ming, Cammie Ramsaroop and a plethora of Guyanese intellectuals. Elections were held on December 15, 1997, and despite their best ever, the Guyanese A-Team brought together by Desmond Hoyte lost by 7 seats. The hopeful view which suggests Guyanese are capable of breaking the curse of ethnic politics would point to the election of David Arthur Granger as President of the Cooperative Republic of Guyana in 2015. They can say, with this example, we resent the notion that this country and its people cannot slay the tribal beast.

In conclusion, the fact remains the jury is still out on who we are as a nation. This will be settled by the results of the next elections. It has never been more stark chance to answer this critical question: you have an inept candidate who is clearly being prepared for a puppet Presidency and, on the other hand, you have an impeccable incorruptible leader heading a coalition government based on national unity that brought unprecedented benefits to Guyana and its people. In consideration of this, the results of the next elections present the perfect opportunity to put the debate to rest; it will provide a final definition of who we are as a nation.

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