WITH campaign launches and hints on the contents of manifestos, the two major political players are vying to ensure that their vision appeals to the electorate and that their answers to the Guyanese people’s questions are not oriented to the wrong end of the scale.On Saturday, the alliance of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), hosted its first major rally in Linden, Region 10 – a meeting that saw ‘cautious’ comments that stayed away from racial incitements.
NATIONAL CONVERSATION
Given Guyana’s history with racial violence during election periods, the issue of race-baiting has occupied the national conversation.

Racially divisive comments represent a scourge that has “reared its ugly head” in recent days, according to Cabinet Secretary, Dr. Roger Luncheon, who last Wednesday categorically stressed that they have no place in the local political arena.
The occurrence he referred to was manifested by comments made on a local television station in Berbice, Region 6 (East Berbice/Corentyne) by members of the coalition, APNU/AFC.
Following on from the identification of this instance, former president, Dr Bharrat Jagdeo has called on all Guyanese to unite and fight racism with “every ounce of blood” in their bodies.
He says that demon, once propagated by the former colonial rulers, is again rearing its ugly head.
Addressing scores of youths at the Progressive Youth Organisation’s (PYO’s) “Night of Reflection”, held at Red House in Kingston, Georgetown last Friday evening, the former Head of State passionately urged his audience not to allow the demon of racism to raise its ugly head again. “We have to chop it off!” he said to resounding applause from the huge gathering.
With the same intensity, the slaying of political activist Courtney Crum-Ewing of Diamond Housing Scheme, has also occupied space in the national conversation.
He was shot dead, last Tuesday night, in Diamond, East Bank Demerara, in what some say was an execution style killing. Information reaching the Guyana Chronicle suggested that four men in a white car approached Crun-Ewing while he was using a loud hailer encouraging persons to come out and vote on May 11 and to vote correctly.
His death has drawn public outcry from all sections of society, including the current Administration.
Last Thursday, President Donald Ramotar made it clear that Crum-Ewing was no threat to the ruling Party, nor to his Government.

Allegations, however, continue to be speculated on.
DAMNING REVELATIONS
The political opposition is dealing with damning revelations of its own, coming from former APNU Member of Parliament, Africo Selman, who went as far as to express fear for her life and the lives of her family.
Confirming the statements of members of the governing PPP/C that the Opposition was deliberately sabotaging Guyana’s development, Selman told tales of abuse and confusion as the Opposition deliberately set out to sabotage Government’s development efforts.
Expressing the view that the APNU was undemocratic in nature, Selman said that she was trying to persuade the Opposition to support the allocations so that students at the University of Guyana would not suffer because of the budget cuts.
Comments by AFC activist, Mark Ross, have also put the alliance in a negative light.
He has, however, apologised for his distasteful comment expressing the desire to see the demise of sitting Head of State, President Donald Ramotar. “I have learnt my lesson,” he said.
Ross, earlier this week, commented on the death of a Finance Ministry official following an accident in the Rupununi, saying: “Awww. I am waiting for similar news of ‘Rumotar’ and his escorts.”
Since then, the AFC activist has chalked up his comment to a manifestation of his frustration with the current political state of affairs.
DEBATE ISSUES
The current day contentions, according to Dr Jagdeo, can be settled via public debate.
The alliance’s presidential candidate, Brigadier (rtd) David Granger has since indicated that he is open to such an undertaking, after dodging last Friday a direct answer to the question on whether he or any member of his party would willingly engage the former president in the public domain.

Sometimes you have to kick asses to get things done, was Dr Jagdeo’s explanation, as he offered to publicly debate any and all of the rank and file of the political Opposition on their policies, at the same time, once given an equal allocation of time.
SUPPORT BASE
Whether the debates will confirm or influence what pollsters have stated will be the outcome of the upcoming elections – a PPP/C victory – is left to be seen.
The latest poll, which was conducted by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) in mid-February, gave the ruling PPP/C an early lead over the alliance for the May 11 elections.
The findings of the poll are obtained from interviews with 620 voters representing the demographics of (42% Indians, 31% Africans, 17% Mixed, 9% Amerindians, and 1% other races) of the population.
However, a large percentage of voters are still undecided and they hold the key to the outcome. The findings revealed that the voters are racially polarised with the PNC (APNU)-AFC getting virtually all of its support from among Africans and Mixed. The ruling PPP/C gets the bulk of its support from among Indians and Amerindians, but also enjoys support from among Africans and Mixed races.
Mr Ramotar will run to reclaim his post at the upcoming May 11 General and Regional Elections and has the full backing of the ruling Party.
He contends that the Party has regained lost ground and expressed confidence in the fact that the efforts made to regain lost supporters has met with success.

Additionally, with pronouncements by Alliance’s leadership on issues of national unity, Mr Ramotar charged that mere lip service and history matched against consistent positions and action finds one on the wrong end of the scale.
“While the other parties pay lip service to multi-ethnic and multi-cultural polices, we (the People’s Progressive Party/ Civic) in reality work constantly to ensure that,” he said in an interview last Sunday.
FOCUS ON STABILITY
Whatever the outcome of the upcoming polls, much has been said about maintaining stability.
President Ramotar, last Thursday, expressed the hope that persons will be able to exercise their franchise at polling stations where they are registered within an enabling environment of peace and stability.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Police Officers’ Annual Conference held at the Officers’ Mess Annex, Eve Leary, he called on the Guyana Police Force (GPF) to play their role.
The President’s main concern about this year’s elections is that the citizens of Guyana are safe during this period, noting too that: “It is important for the country to have a peaceful, enabling environment before and after general and regional elections.”
The Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has also advocated for the same.

Currently, the Commission is engaged in preparation for the publication of its Revised List of Electors (RLE), which will be followed by the publication of the Official List of Elector (OLE). The OLE will facilitate voting come May 11.
With a mere 57 days until E-Day, the happenings in the political sphere come back to one thing – political parties must ensure that their vision appeals to the electorate and that their answers to the people’s questions position themselves on the platform that will find them as the holders of the mandate to lead the nation.
Nomination Day has been announced as April 7 by GECOM and the final political contenders will be established and opened to the scrutiny of the voting Guyanese public, for the purpose of being delivered the mandate to lead.

By Vanessa Narine