POLITICAL parties that thrive and go on to make real contributions to their societies have certain things in common. One of the most important of these is leadership. Most parties ‘worth their salt’ have tended to settle leadership questions quickly and then ‘circle the wagon’. The parties that fail to do this disappear as quickly as they may have sprung up. The AFC seems to be heading in that direction.
To date Guyana has produced two parties that fall in the first category, namely, the PPP and the PNC, although it must be said that the PNC runs the risk of breaking away from this pattern. The PPP had Cheddi Jagan, Janet Jagan, and since 2009, Bharrat Jagdeo. Much the same can be said of the PNC leaders in the persons of L.F.S. Burnham, H. Desmond Hoyte, and now R.O. Corbin. These leaders have covered the entire existence of the PNC.
If you compare these parties with the AFC and the WPA you will quickly recognize why the last two have not accomplished as much as one might have expected.
After nearly thirty five years in existence the WPA still does not have a leader, or if it does, no one in Guyana knows who it is. Walter Rodney was the undisputed leader but since his assassination no leader has surfaced. The party has been in decline for three decades, and this, despite some obvious talents in its ranks.
The AFC is obviously the other party that is suffering from a leadership debacle. The AFC has made two fundamental mistakes in this regard. Firstly, the party copied the principle of rotation from the WPA, which in turn copied it from the ANC. Bad idea. The WPA has collapsed, and the ANC has had real problems with leadership rotation.
The second problem is far more serious. The AFC fails to understand that while you can change the administrative head of a party you do not do the same thing with the ‘leader’. Political leadership is not just any other job-opening where interested candidates take turns or where a vacancy is simply filled because no one else is available. Good political leaders usually emerge through years of involvement in the central struggles of their time, and through the reputation they have gained for their judgment, political acumen, and their charisma. Some are simply brilliant and rise quickly.
As it stands today, Trotman is the head of the AFC; Ramjattan is the presidential candidate; and Sheila Holder is the prime ministerial running mate. If you ask any Guyanese who is the leader, you are likely to be met with silence. The reason for this is simple – the AFC is leaderless.
Critics might say that this is unfair and that we should not ‘tek advantage’ on the AFC when they are so weak. Yet, this is serious business, because we are dealing with the nation’s governance. The proof that the AFC is leaderless can be found in the latest report that Mr. Ramjattan and Mr. Trotman are still fighting over a possible partnership with the PNCR. The two men have had this dispute for more than a year now, and there is no end in sight. It appears that Sheila Holder does not have any say in the matter.