THE coalition government of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) has been receiving effusive praise for having brought about a national integration of Guyana’s major race groups which resulted in its declared victory at the 2015 General and Regional Elections.

For this “national integration of Guyana’s major race groups” to have been brought about means that a significant segment of Indian Guyanese, whose loyalty to the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) was previously race-based, renounced their race-based political alliance and voted to support a political grouping dominated by the African Guyanese-dominant People’s National Congress (Reformed).

In other words, the explanation for the APNU-AFC alliance’s success at the polls is that the significant numbers of Indian Guyanese who voted for the APNU-AFC alliance did so as a result of their having achieved an elevated consciousness that made them transcend the restrictive boundaries of narrow racism.

From this perspective, therefore, race became irrelevant to those Indian Guyanese – all they were concerned about was voting for a political unit that, in their opinion, offered the best promise for Guyana’s total development and economic advancement.

Now, let us be real – and honest. Many of the Indian Guyanese who left the PPP did so because their personal ambitions within the party were not realised. Some were dissatisfied with their share of perks that flowed to the party. Others became disgruntled because their demands for state lands were not granted. And there were yet others who became angry because the party did not position them as government ministers or managers of state corporations.
Some also felt that their sons and daughters merited favourable consideration for certain state-sponsored scholarships and became angry when their wishes were not granted. Then, of course, there are those who felt that their personal connections to Dr Cheddi Jagan and Janet Jagan gave them inherited privileged positions of authority and power within the party; these folks became disillusioned and bitter when these inherited privileges were not entertained and vowed to bring the party down.

The bottom line, therefore, is that what we have witnessed during Guyana’s 2015 elections is an illusion of national integration – not the real thing. A number of disgruntled and opportunistic Indian Guyanese chose to align themselves with, and vote for, a political grouping that included an element that is symbolic of mass African Guyanese. Does this truly represent an integration of African and Indian Guyanese?

The truth is the Indian Guyanese who voted for the APNU-AFC alliance did so on a basis of trust. They are trusting their erstwhile “enemies” of African Guyanese (as embodied in the PNC or any of its manifestations) by placing some degree of power into their hands. (Remember: There is only a one-seat majority)
And the Indian Guyanese are watching. They need to see clear, unambiguous actions that inform them of positively changed attitudes of African Guyanese towards Indian Guyanese. The least disquieting signs will be noted. Any perceived mistreatment and witch hunting of Indian Guyanese by PNC elements embedded in the structure of governance will erode trust and have some long-term unpleasant consequences for the Government. We must also remember that blood is thicker than water. How do readers think the perceived singling out of former President Jagdeo for “special attention” from the law enforcement and legal arms of the government, and the public humiliation of Town Clerk Carol Sooba are being viewed by our Indian Guyanese population? These actions have certainly not gone unobserved and unnoted. The new government should be aware that in politics perception is considered reality that carries real consequences. The overzealous, impetuous, and intemperate actions of political cliques in the ruling structure should be brought under control by sober and wiser government leadership.

Finally, since real or convenient “racial cohesion” is now the new political game in Guyana, any significant disgruntled section of African Guyanese know exactly with whom to switch their allegiance to bring about an unassailable “integrative political body” that can easily win a national election and form a new government.

WILBERT M. STEPHENSON