Dear Editor,
PERMIT my belated response to Mr. Ralph Ramkarran’s column, “Sustaining and advancing democracy for the New Year”, published in Stabroek News on Sunday November 31, 2017, which has been delayed because of circumstances beyond my control.

In his column, Mr. Ramkarran made some observations that are consistent with progressive national aspirations. However, his silence on key issues is counterproductive, and deceptive. It is not asking too much from this prominent political personality and former member of the PPP’s leadership, to be more balanced when addressing critical and sensitive areas of Guyana’s political experiences, particularly since he cannot claim to be an innocent bystander.

Ramkarran wrote in his column, “In the critical years of the 1970s and 1980s, three major issues engaged the attention of my political colleagues – restore democracy, advance social progress and avoid civil strife.”

As preoccupied as they were with the above concerns, the PPP leadership and Dr. Jagan, squandered the opportunity offered to that party in the late 80s and early 90s, with the formation of the PCD and the end of the cold war, to demonstrate their commitment to those ideals. Contemporary politics would show that unlike the PPP and Dr. Jagan, the APNU and Mr. Granger took advantage of a possible alliance with the AFC to strike an electoral coalition in the interest of the country – the rest is history.

Instead, the PPP quickly resorted to the historic logic that guided its approach to the nation’s problems after the split in the national movement, which was one of ethnic economic and political domination. It is in this context that while Ramkarran is vocal on the need for constitutional reform to address ethnic political domination, which I support, his pronounced silence on the need to reform the ethnic dominated economy that exists in Guyana becomes problematic and raises questions of his sincerity.

His failure to give recognition to the intrinsic link between economics and political domination, which he is well aware of, makes his position suspect and unhelpful. The issue of ethnic economic domination and its negative effects has been in Guyana’s political life since colonial days to the present – the proverbial “elephant” in the room. If Ramkarran’s approach is a true reflection of where progressive minds in the Indian community are in relation to the nation’s challenges, then Guyana will continue to be in deep trouble.

African political consciousness at present is influenced in part by the following: 1) the alleged criminalisation of the state under the PPP and its racial overtones 2) the domination of the economy by Indians and non-Africans 3) the alleged massive theft of state resources and the transfer by the government of huge wealth from the state to one ethnic group, at a level unprecedented in the modern history of the country (4) the alleged PPP/C state sponsored extra–judicial killings of hundreds of young African men in the so-called “war on crime” (5) the alleged criminal alliance between the PPP/C, Jadgeo and Roger Khan and company.

My point is, in the same way rigged elections under the PNCR, feeds/shapes Indian community political consciousness, each of the above does the same to the African community’s political consciousness and, when taken together, they demonstrate the depth of the crisis facing African politics in the years ahead.

After 23 years of the PPP/C rule in Guyana, Africans are faced with being excluded from almost every aspect of economic life in the country. While the African community’s political position has improved with the defeat of the PPPC, it is yet to be translated into significant economic gains for Africans. This situation will not change dramatically until the coalition recognises the importance of meaningfully empowering that community, by providing it with the skills and resources to move it forward.

While I remain committed to the struggle for constitutional reform, I am mindful that at present the PPP/C has no interest in this matter, since it has erroneously convinced itself that it will win the 2020 general and regional elections. Another factor that influences my present attitude on this matter is that the present regime is not a one-party government. In my view it will start in earnest after the 2020 elections. It would be a political miracle if any serious movement on this issue occurs before.

The resolution of the race/political contractions in the country requires the Indian community to develop an appreciation of the destruction to the African and Amerindian communities during the 23 years of PPP/C rule. As a nation in our divided state, we will continue to be easy pickings for external exploiters and, will as a result, see our natural resources being plundered by and for the enrichment of others, while we helplessly look on. This, I believe, is the real challenge facing us if we are to sustain and advance democracy, not only in the New Year but beyond.
Regards
Tacuma Ogunseye