The ongoing NACTA tracking polling exercise, that began in mid-February, has found that voters are as racially polarized for the May 11 general elections as in earlier elections. Very few voters, primarily some Indians, Mixed, and Amerindians, show they are breaking from the old habit of traditional voting patterns that began in 1955 following the racial split of the original PPP. According to the poll’s findings, almost every African is voting for the APNU+AFC alliance, unlike Indians who are splitting their votes to benefit the opposition alliance complaining that the PPP has neglected them in favor of PNC supporters. But the bulk of the Indians are voting for the PPP to prevent the return of the PNC to office. In terms of racialized voting, the PNC is getting a much larger portion of Africans than the PPP is getting from among Indians.
According to the poll’s findings, the APNU+AFC alliance, though comprising of several (paper) parties and prominent Indians from the AFC, is viewed by a majority of the population as the PNC disguised under a new name. Also, some of the Indian supporters of the alliance are of the view that they are not voting for the PNC but for the AFC faction of the opposition alliance, saying they can’t bring themselves to vote for the PNC because of the history of abuses they suffered under its rule. The Indian supporters of the opposition do not view the alliance as PNC and feel convinced that in voting for the alliance their support is going to the AFC and not the PNC. While these AFC supporters are opposed to their party’s partnership with the APNU (that most voters equate with the PNC), they do not want to break with their support for AFC. They say they want to punish the PPP for neglecting them and for the perceived arrogance of some officials. Hence the reason for supporting the AFC and the alliance.
The findings also reveal that some of the Indians, primarily those who break with AFC for partnering with the PNC, are supporting URP of Vishnu Bandhu.
Voters of Mixed races are splitting their votes with the bulk of them going for the opposition alliance and some returning to the PPP because they feel the AFC has betrayed them for linking up with the PNC (APNU).
A large majority of the Amerindians are supporting the PPP with a quarter supporting the opposition. Most of the Amerindians fear a return of the abuses they suffered under the PNC should the opposition become victorious in the election.
The findings of the poll are obtained from interviews with 1300 voters (42% Indians, 31% Africans, 17% Mixed, 9% Amerindians, and 1% other races) from mid-February thru now.
The findings reveal traditional supporters of the PNC want a change in the government, saying they no longer want to be ruled by the PPP that they define as “Indian or coolie rule”. They say they want to be governed by their own party and their own leader. Analogously, traditional supporters of the PPP are fearful of a return of Burnhamism should the PNC win — the discredited past practices (contraband goods, national service, racism, lining up for goods, victimization, persecution, dictatorship, kick down door banditry, and the like) that were associated with the PNC when it governed Guyana. Nevertheless, the findings show that PNC-led alliance has a very good chance of gaining control of the government because of the division in support among the PPP base and strong racial unity in the opposition camp. The opposition PNC has an excellent ground organization of volunteers of former military and police officers convincing voters to support the alliance.
Africans are voting almost exclusively for the PNC-led alliance, APNU+AFC, and not splitting their votes. The Indians, on the other hand, are splitting their votes, the major reason being complaints of perceived neglect by the PPP especially by their “local officials”, enhancing the alliance’s chances of capturing power.
The supporters of both sides square off in what is likely to be a close outcome. The PPP is praised for racial healing and for efforts at uniting the nation. Pro-PPP supporters describe their choice in this election as being between a party that would take them backwards, ban basic goods and practice racial discrimination, against a party that would look to build on the economic and social progress of the last two decades. They add it is a choice between a party that is national in scope and policies and that is reflective of the varied races (promoting racial and religious harmony and tolerance) versus one that took the country to the brink of an abyss of racial divisiveness and underdevelopment during its 28 years rule. Pro-opposition (PNU+AFC) supporters, on the other hand, while grudgingly giving credit to the PPP for the progress of the last two decades, say they have had enough of the PPP and want change. They make no bones of their desire about having someone of their own ethnic background to govern them.