GUYANESE on May 11 face an important choice and the over-the-week additional details on these choices have been disclosed – the leadership tickets of the contesting political parties, in particular.The combined Opposition has coalesced into an alliance of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC) and will head into the polls as a unit. APNU’s Leader, Brigadier (rtd) David Granger, as the presidential candidate and AFC Executive, Moses Nagamootoo, as the prime ministerial candidate.
The ruling People’s Progressive Party/ Civic (PPP/C) on the other hand has thrown something of a “curve ball” into the political arena, with the introduction of career diplomat, Elisabeth Harper, as its prime ministerial candidate. In the political musings that have been bandied about over possible nominees, Harper was not a name that had attracted consideration. Nevertheless, the announcement was made yesterday by the PPP General Secretary, Clement Rohee. The 57-year-old, widely endorsed by the party including her running mate, President Donald Ramotar, will take over from outgoing Prime Minister Samuel Hinds, who has served in the capacity for over two decades.
ASSURANCES
There has been finality, as well as assurances, in other areas. After nearly two days of intense deliberations, an agreed Media Code of Conduct (MCC) that will serve as a guide to the conduct of media operatives and media houses during the 2015 National and Regional Elections campaign season has been signed.The 2015 MCC is an amended version of the one used during the 2011 election campaign season and reflects the changing environment and lessons learnt from previous years. The 2015 MCC was agreed following a two-day media forum organised by the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) to review the 2011 document and to improve on it.
GECOM is also expected to have political parties sign onto a Code of Conduct.
Additionally, Chief Elections Officer (CEO), Keith Lowenfield, has assured that polling places and staffers will be sufficient. He explained that the intention is not to have more than 400 persons assigned to vote at a particular polling station. As such, he reasoned that there may be need to increase the current number of polling stations, an increase from an estimated 2,260 polling stations. Asked about staffing for Election Day, Lowenfield stated that an estimated 12,000 workers will be needed and currently GECOM is working to fill that complement.
Also, the Official List of Electors (OLE) is likely to be published by April 13, while the Revised List of Electors (RLE), following the end of the ongoing Claims and Objections period, could possibly be completed by March 16.
“We are moving to ensuring that all the processes, as the law prescribed are satisfied every step of the way,” Lowenfield has said.
QUESTIONS
In other areas there are questions.
Going into the coalition negotiations with the five-party APNU, the AFC controlled 21 percent of the combined Opposition seats in Parliament, but came out with a guarantee of 40 percent of the Cabinet, and at least 12 parliamentary seats, should they succeed at the May 11, 2015 General and Regional polls.
Analysts have since concluded that the minority Opposition party has trumped the larger five-party APNU, which held 79 percent of the Opposition seating arrangement in the House going into the negotiation.
Some politicos question whether the alliance will be successful, particularly given that the initial reactions were characterised by resignations and expressions of betrayal, among other things.
In other spheres yet, questions were answered. Clarity on the role of former President Dr Bharrat Jagdeo headed into the elections was given. The incumbent President announced that he will head the newly created National Economic Council (NEC).Mr Ramotar explained that he decided to establish this council in order “to bring greater support to my government in enhancing and accelerating our transformational and modernisation agenda.”
Over the next 79 days, there are expected to be additional lines of questioning.
EXPECTATIONS
On the issue of lines, the particular ‘lines of campaigning’ are also expected to be pronounced on via the political parties, as are the dates for their campaign launches.
The PPP, some politicos say, will launch theirs on March 8 at their founder’s memorial at Babu John, Region 6 (East Berbice / Corentyne).
Recently, the ruling party’s General Secretary, Clement Rohee, has insisted and cited references of the fact that the PPP has stayed true to the principles of their founder, Dr Cheddi Jagan – one in particular being “development with a human face.”
Head of the Presidential Secretariat (HPS), Dr. Roger Luncheon, has also addressed the party’s principles. Recently, he was most emphatic that the PPP/C does not just respect diversity, but also nurtures it. Speaking on the programme, “Political Scope” aired on the National Communications Network (NCN), Dr Luncheon took the opportunity to remind his audience that diversity has always existed within society since the beginning of the human race. He also cautioned, however, that the problem is not diversity, which is inevitable, but responses to it; and he said history is replete with examples of extremist approaches to this normal phenomenon in society.
Meanwhile, in the Opposition camp, a date for the launch of the Alliance’s campaign is also expected to kick off soon.
As it relates to the voters, in the lead up to the polls, a significant expectation is to continue seeing the ‘workings of a country’ continue as per normal – as it has so far.
The Ministry of Education on Thursday launched its Atlantic Reader Books 1, 2 and 3 at the Port Mourant Primary School in Region 6 (East Berbice-Corentyne).Delivering the feature address at the event, President Donald Ramotar congratulated the ministry’s team for the initiative, which he said should be seen as a beginning for much more to come, in the line of locally produced literature for schools.
EXXON Mobil brought Minister of Natural Resources and the Environment, Mr Robert Persaud up to speed on activities it will be undertaking here over the next few weeks and disclosed that its rig has departed Louisiana, in the USA, for the Stabroek Block, offshore Guyana, where it is expected to commence drilling in mid-March.
Guyana’s debt-to-GDP (Gross Domestic Product) ratio was declared as among the lowest in the Caribbean, according to a report just released by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB).The report indicates that Guyana’s debt ratio amounts to some 58 percent of GDP, and is bettered only by Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname, and Haiti. By contrast, Jamaica and Barbados recorded debt-to-GDP ratios of 140 and 115 percent respectively.
And the country moved up five points on the 2015 World Press Freedom Index and currently ranks 62 out of 180 countries, with a rating of 27.21 – an important accomplishment, according to Presidential Advisor on Governance, Gail Teixeira.The 2015 World Press Freedom Index highlights the worldwide deterioration in freedom of information in 2014. Since the launch of the Press Freedom Index report, another body, Freedom House, also made public its report, “Discarding Democracy: Return to the Iron Fist,” which assesses the level of freedom globally. Guyana was deemed free by Freedom House with an overall rank of 2.5 out of 10, with 10 being the worst.
With more good news than bad in the last week, Guyanese have another 79 days to go and can look forward to another week of hustings by the political players.

(By Vanessa Narine)