–the tripartite dialogue
Analysis by Rickey Singh
IF ALL goes well tomorrow, according to an official joint statement released last Thursday, then the people of Guyana should soon learn about the likely basis for structured dialogue, in the national interest, between the PPP/C administration of President Donald Ramotar and the parliamentary opposition of APNU and AFC. At the President’s invitation, representative delegations from the governing PPP/C and the two opposition parties, which were respectively led by David Granger (APNU) and Raphael Trotman (AFC), agreed to exchange by tomorrow their lists of priority issues for discussion.
The statement also included the assurance that Finance Minister, Dr Ashni Singh “will meet with the two identified finance persons of APNU and AFC in the near future to consult on the preparation of the 2012 Budget”.
It is to the credit of all that the parties have opted for structured dialogue, in recognition of the verdict of the electorate at the November 28 general election, at which the incumbent PPP/C retained the Executive Presidency but lost, by one seat, its parliamentary majority in the 65-member National Assembly.
This is all the more encouraging since APNU had so hastily resorted to the old extra-parliamentary politics of its dominant partner, the PNC, even while the independent Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) and all foreign and local observer missions had given unqualified clearance to the conduct of a free and fair poll.
Perhaps APNU’s initial response—in contrast to that of the AFC which holds the balance of power in parliament—may have been consistent with its own controversial claims that had led its more vocal supporters and a youth arm of recent vintage, into thinking that they had actually won the election.
Be that as it may, the reality is that for the first time since a general election under the electoral system of proportional representation (PR) of 1964—47 years ago—there is a uneasy split in the control of state power with the incumbent PPP/C holding the reins of enormous constitutional power vested in an Executive President, while the combined APNU/AFC opposition have a one-seat majority in parliament. Hence the necessity for structured and meaningful tripartite consultations.
Other voices
As also editorially noted by the ‘Stabroek News’ last week, “…We need our politicians, supported and encouraged by civil society, to be at their most reasonable and adaptable in the coming days, weeks and months, if we are to avoid the added stress of an early election.
“We need them to engage in constructive dialogue, to make deals.”
As the only practical, political strategy, if all Guyana is to win something out of the realignment of forces in parliament. Obviously, for this to happen, the political will must exist on ALL (my emphasis) sides to move the country.
In the spirit of that editorial, it is quite relevant to note here a significant observation a few days earlier by Eusi Kwayana, who needs no introduction to anyone familiar with party politics, culture, class and ethnic divisions in Guyana.
Too often misrepresented by political foes but respected for his commitment to social justice and economic emancipation, Kwayana has been quoted as saying that the outcome of the November 28 poll offers Guyana “the best opportunity in years to end bitter rivalry between the major races” and, consequently, an opportune time for the political parties to work towards a national unity government…”
That, most regrettably, has been a path often called for, at varying periods in the tumultuous party politics of Guyana but always expediently avoided—even after Cheddi Jagan had made his historic offer, following the outcome of the December 1964 parliamentary election, to share the office of Prime Minister with the Forbes Burnham in a PPP/PNC coalition government.
The incumbent PPP had secured the majority of seats but the PNC opted to team up with the then United Force—consistent with a preference located in  a British/American deal. Together, their votes under the PR system gave them a working parliamentary majority with Burnham as Prime Minister.
The rest is part of Guyana’s tumultuous political history with ALL future elections being brazenly rigged in favour of the PNC. Until, that is, October 1992 when Guyanese once again came to appreciate the value of electoral democracy. Since then the PNC has never WON a national election and the PPP never had to, until now, been left to run a minority government with its combined opponents sharing a one-seat majority.
In the circumstances, the need is for matured, sober political responses to the problems and challenges facing Guyana, at this time of worsening global financial and economic woes, and certainly not demagoguery, wild threats and disturbances that create problems for the business sector, affect economic growth and, worse undermine initiatives for national unity.
As Guyanese currently go about their Christmas shopping in an environment of law and order they would, I am sure, keep hope alive for genuine efforts by the power-brokers to advance progress towards national unity and wider social and economic progress.