FOR a country with a small population, this nation’s politics is far more interesting than a majority of countries in the world, including those with humongous populations. The AFC has announced new leadership but the word “new” begs to be deconstructed.

There is no new leadership in the AFC. It is the same people from 10 years ago with one racial exception. Before 2024, the party always had an African and an Indian either as leader or alternatively, deputy leader. In the new dispensation, the first four persons at the top of the pyramid are all African Guyanese. Why is that so? They simply could not find a suitable Indian.

Since the traditional formula in national elections is the presidential candidate and prime ministerial slot reflect the ethnic reality of Guyana, then where is the Indian candidate to partner Nigel Hughes who will obviously be the presidential candidate? I guess it will have to be Khemraj Ramjattan. But which Indian in Guyana is going to vote for Ramjattan, apart from himself? I doubt Ramjattan will even vote for himself. Next year, I think Ramjattan will vote for the PPP.

What is going on in the AFC is weird, but wait till you hear what is taking place in the WPA, then you will see the full blown comicality of Guyanese politics. WPA has announced its new leadership and its presidential candidate. David Hinds heads the list. Now here is a man who will be contesting the presidency of Guyana and has lived outside the past 30 years, and in that period only visits Guyana three months in the calendar year.

Now if you think that is comical wait till you hear the other names in the new leadership. Someone has to urgently define for the Guyanese people what “new” means. Its co-leaders are Hinds, Tacuma Ogenseye and a man who left Guyana 50 years ago, Rohit Kanhai.

Unlike the AFC, the WPA will have one of its three leaders as the Indian prime ministerial candidate. But he will not get one Indian vote because 99.99 per cent of Guyana has never heard the name, Rohit Kanhai.

The WPA’s press release lists three names as the party elders – Drs. Clive Thomas, Maurice Odle and Rupert Roopnaraine. All three are in their mid-eighties and are in the same situation as Joe Biden. In a list of 11 office bearers, only are two Indians and of those two, one is unknown in Guyana, and the other, no one has heard from him since the 2020 election- Rupert Roopnaraine.

There are no women in the WPA leadership, so the question that will arouse curiosity is where are Joycelyn Dow, Vanda Radzik, her sister Danuta and the editor of the Stabroek News, column, “In The Diaspora” Alissa Trotz.

I would like Dr. Trotz to get in touch with me to accept my offer of doing an article for “In The Diaspora.” The title will be – “Where is Alissa Trotz when WPA needs her.” My email is fredkissooon@yahoo.com and my cell is 614-5927.

So the question that has to be put on the table is where the votes for the AFC and WPA coming from. However you answer that question, the votes aren’t coming from Indian people. The names David Hinds and Tacuma Ogunseye are seen by Indian people as insanely hostile to the Indian race in Guyana.

For all the books Clive Thomas has written and for all the powerful intellect Roopnaraine has, let them tell Guyanese which Indian is going to vote for these two persons. There is no African Guyanese in ACDA and the PNC that has relentlessly preached racially laced sermon as these personalities. Ogunseye is before the courts, charged under the Racial Hostility Act.

Here are his words: “…the first objective is to get the African team in a state of battle readiness… the Afro-Guyanese police and soldiers… would stand with Afro-Guyanese in resisting mainly Indo-Guyanese supporting the PPP/C. The reality is the army, the Police are majority African brothers, once we organise the people and once we begin to fight, we will ensure that our brothers and sisters in uniform will do the right thing.”
Interestingly, the three elder- Thomas, Roopnaraine and Odle – have not commented on this repugnant descent into racial bigotry before the matter went to court. But they are now part of the “new” leadership of the WPA. Are these elders, the people I knew so well during the 1970s? How do political analysts and psychologists explain this character switch of people like these? Is it true that those whom the gods wish to destroy, they first make mad? Or how about this phrase: “When divine anger desires to ruin a man, it first takes away his good sense.”

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.