THE dawn of a new year always brings with it a renewed sense of hope and optimism.

Such optimism is not misplaced.

Over the past decade and a half or so, the country has experienced a period of growth and development after years of political and economic stagnation caused mainly by over two decades of undemocratic rule.

Today, all of that has changed. Guyana is today  a free and democratic society where everyone regardless of race, ethnicity or political affiliation are treated in equal measure as Guyanese and are afforded the same opportunities to realise his or her full potential.

Most, if not all, Guyanese would like to see a continuation of the growth momentum which has characterised the Guyana economy over the years.

While it is true that historically voting preferences are influenced by ethnicity and race, more recent elections have shown that a growing number of Guyanese have managed to transcend ethnic voting patterns and have become much more issue-oriented in the articulation of political preferences. An analysis of the last two elections have been particularly instructive in this regard.

This is so despite the harsh international economic environment  which saw some of the more advanced economies reeling under the pressure of the global and financial crisis.

The economic and financial health of the country has never been as good and is getting better with each passing year.

The country has also experienced a period of relative peace and stability which speaks well of our growing sense of political maturity.

Unlike all previous elections which were marred by post-elections violence, the last election was undoubtedly the most peaceful and incident free.

There were no charges by any of the contending parties regarding fraudulent practices. This, for me, is the most tangible indication of political maturity.

Political leaders and parties must learn to accept and concede defeat with dignity and grace, once the will of the people had been expressed in free and fair elections. By the same token, victorious parties must accept victory with humility and respect for those who may not have supported them at the polls.

The truth of the matter is that in any democracy there can only be one winner except in cases where no political party has garnered enough votes to form the government on its own and some form of coalition politics become necessary.

In the case of Guyana, with the exception of the 1964 elections which saw a coalition government between the PNC and the UF, there has never been any form of coalition government since one or the other major party, namely the PPP and the PNC have been in power, the latter it must be mentioned, if only for the records, by fraudulent means.

In other words, the PP P is the only political party that successfully managed to win outright victories in all democratic  elections held in post-independence Guyana.

It is a known fact that elections between 1968 and 1985 were massively and blatantly rigged by the PNC in their attempt to perpetuate undemocratic rule in Guyana.

As we approach another general election, there is renewed focus on the need for transparency in the conduct of our general and regional elections.

From all indications, preparations for the elections are fairly well advanced with the introduction of continuous registration which allows for the registration of voters outside of the stipulated period.

It is the duty and responsibility of every eligible Guyanese to make sure that they are registered and, by so doing, they exercise their fundamental right to elect a government of their choice.

According to political scientists, in every society, most notably the United States of America, there are a significant number of eligible voters who do not exercise their right to vote for the simple reason that they fail to discern any fundamental difference between the two political parties, the Democrats and the Republicans around whom the seat of governance is rotated.

Guyana is today  a free and democratic society where everyone regardless of race, ethnicity or political affiliation are treated in equal measure as Guyanese and are afforded the same opportunities to realise his or her full potential. Most, if not all, Guyanese would like to see a continuation of the growth momentum which has characterised the Guyana economy over the years.

Some, in particular the working class, could not care less as to who from between the two parties control the apparatus of the state since for them it made  little if any difference to their quality of life.

This has been described as functional apathy which, according to political scientists, is healthy for any democracy, since it prevents voters from making wrong choices in terms of the articulation of political preferences.

Fortunately for us in Guyana, we have a voting public that is much more rational in terms of how they exercise their franchise, especially given our diversity and political plurality.

While it is true that historically voting preferences are influenced by ethnicity and race, more recent elections have shown that a growing number of Guyanese have managed to transcend ethnic voting patterns and have become much more issue-oriented in the articulation of political preferences.

An analysis of the last two elections have been particularly instructive in this regard.

It is true that we still have a fair measure of insecurity based on ethnicity and political affiliation.But as our economy improves and the economic pie gets bigger,the fear of marginalization would increasingly disappear.

This must be buttressed by constitutional and legal instruments to which every individual must have recourse in the event they feel aggrieved. This coming year could be a significant milestone as we seek to build a more participatory and inclusive society.