THE race to elections on June 12 this year has begun with both the ruling party and the opposition firing shots and verbal salvos at each other.

For the most part, they accused each other of electoral fraud and called on the Guyana Elections Commission along with the Guyana Police Force to probe their concerns.

All in all, Nomination Day went smoothly and was a joy to watch as Guyanese truly participated in demonstrating that they understand the concepts of local democracy and community development.

It also meant that they were demonstrating proudly that they could support the party of their choice, whether it was the ruling People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C), A Partnership for National Unity (APNU), or an independent individual or group.

While the PPP/C party welcomed all the candidates competing in the local government polls regardless of race and other underpinnings, the APNU, who notably was upset and bitter, alleged that those Afro-Guyanese who endorsed the PPP/C were paid, induced or enticed to do so.

From the Opposition Leader, Aubrey Norton’s reaction to the ‘red wave’ created by the PPP/C with young, black, joyful and intelligent candidates, one would know that it bothered him and there was a panic running through the opposition’s camp. This panic was made abundantly clear when the opposition parliamentarians’ usual visibility morphed into ‘barebones’ and virtual nothingness.

While Norton gave a half-baked explanation for this, he completely forgot to sing praises about the APNU’s list or areas where they are contesting the polls. Norton did not address the diversity of their list which was supposed to be national or the fact that they are purportedly losing party members, and electoral support.

Also, Norton did not speak to many of the germane facts surrounding the party; the party’s financing and the party infighting that was blatantly exposed in party groups in the lead-up to nomination day proceedings. He behaves like a ‘one-party-knows-it-all man’ relying on the PNC/R’s grassroots support and clinging to the hope that they will sway the voters to them as they did in previous elections.

Firstly, the Opposition Leader must take full responsibility for the coalition’s poor showing on Nomination Day 2023. If there was a time to show up the PPP/C’s lack of popularity, it was on this day.

Norton kept everyone in suspense, saying little or nothing about the local government polls, only to contest locally in 24 out of 80 democratic organs. Make that make sense against the backdrop of the party’s diatribe against the ruling party and its mantra that it is allegedly being discriminated against.

Norton and his party’s sad attempt to resurrect former Regional Chairman Sharma Solomon and others, would serve as contributing to the public perception that he has failed to muster an acceptable crowd to rally for the PNC/APNU coalition. No amount of deflection or explanation will suffice other than saying that this smells like an abysmal failure on Norton’s shoulder.
And, the party finances, a technical campaign for an alleged clean list, and the availability of MPs, could hardly be the cost for this political failure in the opposition camp.

Secondly, Norton’s party failed to even contest in a majority of local areas, aesthetics aside. Was the message of race discrimination not strong enough? Racism allegations did not stick in the public’s mind?

Norton apparently is weakening the PNCR/APNU’s hold in the business of local democracy and elections. His alleged strategy of leaving the room or way open to independent groups or individuals, and the ruling party, could backfire at the national level because the business of politics could be tricky and uncertain.

Not only did he commit political suicide, but Norton also failed to say that they were only contesting in 42% of all the constituencies in the country as more candidates have withdrawn their support.

It is safe to say that the list for the PPP/C is diverse and national in the sense that it is more pro-black and more mixed. It is reflective of the demographics in Guyana’s case while the APNU’s list, sadly, cannot compare in either diversity or ethnic soundness.

The APNU, staying true to form, perhaps has declined to an Afro-Guyanese party and there is no shame in that if that is the reality in Guyana, but it most certainly is not!

Thirdly, there was not enough attention given in both camps to their youthful and intelligent candidates in the upcoming polls. The public is not concerned with the crossover candidates per se. They are much more interested in the new and budding candidates who could lead the country at the local level, making decisions, and using the new trends in technology and information communications technology, to improve the management of NDCs, councils and mayoral districts.

The focus must be placed on the newcomers for parties and independent groups so that the public could understand their outlook on things that they will change at the local level.

Clearly, the younger voting population will decide the local government polls for both parties at the elections so it is only right that they be given a chance to prove their worth.

Finally, the media must disabuse its mind from focusing on the obvious trends but must focus its attention on more uniquely interesting things coming out of local government elections and GECOM.

They must focus attention heavily on the public perception and balance that out with the facts concerning any issue that they come up with during the next month and a half.

The big takeaway from Nomination Day is that the PPP/C really has no decent and moral partner to compete against for the local government polls in the country minus the independent individuals and groups. The APNU is still searching for a calm, cool, unemotional and rational man or woman to lead it into victory against the PPP/C.

The problem is not some people at the party. It is like-minded people like Norton who have, maybe, a false sense of consciousness and pride that they cannot recognise when defeat is imminent and it is time to go. This election will prove that Norton is not the leader he promised to be, and the PNC/APNU will disintegrate faster.