POLITICS is a dirty game. It’s nasty because the end justifies the means. It is particularly dangerous when one does not pay keen attention to the actions of their political rivals and enemies. If one chooses to ignore analysing clear behaviour patterns, then one is prepared to walk into a problem blindsided and wilfully ignorant.
Recently, the main opposition party, the PNCR/APNU, decided it was not going to sign an election code of conduct drafted by the Ethnic Relations Commission. The code of conduct is geared towards making each political party commit to fair, peaceful and lawful campaigning ahead, during and after the elections.
Notably, representatives from Forward Guyana were also absent; however, they are considered inconsequential and unlikely to influence the outcome of this election. APNU stated it has no confidence in the impartiality and independence of the ERC, accusing the PPP government of deliberately turning the body into a political stooge. While affirming its commitment to fair election campaigning, APNU maintained it would not sign.
It follows, then, that if GECOM were to produce its own code of conduct for elections, APNU would likely express the same concerns and refuse to sign. One must pay close attention to both historical precedents and present-day political manoeuvrings. The 1997 elections come to mind, and Aubrey Norton is proving he is no fool—he will not be trapped into signing a document, whether from the ERC or GECOM, that he has no intention of upholding or honouring.
Firstly, Norton is laying the groundwork for his narrative that the PPP/C stole the elections and cheated their way into office on September 1—a claim that could not be further from the truth. He has seen the writing on the wall and knows APNU is poised to fail miserably in its bid to form the next government. Even within APNU, no one truly believes they can win, so Norton is simply bluffing and setting the stage for his actions and statements on election day.
Secondly, this move is worrying politically because the stakes are high, and when Norton loses the polls, there must be nothing formally barring the display of violence and protesting. This could be a real possibility. In politics, one does not leave things to chance.
The APNU showed their true colours when they sat back and watched the Adriana Younge violence escalate. They played the family carefully in the background, and the public suffered tremendously. They even showed their hands are not clean when they made Dr Dexter Todd a candidate in the party’s fold for the upcoming elections. And, WIN is no different with Amika Lewis, Younge’s so-called aunt, as a candidate.
Norton and WIN could be banking on the so-called ‘scrapes’ to intervene and cause an election disturbance that will play in their interests when the PPP wins the elections handsomely.
Watch these developments carefully because they would spell trouble for oil-rich Guyana. And Norton and Azruddin Mohamed are not strangers to this sort of violence and disturbance.
Thirdly, refusing to sign the ERC code—regardless of one’s feelings about the commission—is outright wrong. It is both disrespectful and politically tone-deaf to reject such a step, rather than showing maturity by endorsing the document. APNU’s own lengthy statement betrays its awareness that the decision was misguided. If the party truly believed it could win the upcoming elections, it should have had no hesitation in signing.
Many times, the public does not agree with some of the things that occur under the hands of the ERC, but it still respects it. The ERC needs to undergo a transformation internally, but it is still one of the commissions working to promote harmony and unity. It does still have Guyanese interest at heart.
Not signing the code of conduct means that APNU does not have any legitimate reasons to cry about free and fair election campaigning, but is gearing up to cry nonetheless.
After all, its leaders have been attacking the PPP/C leaders personally and individually by dirty name-calling, and the social media cussing out. Untrue stories and tales told at rallies and public meetings by the opposition do not create a very healthy environment for election campaigning. And, now that APNU and the other party have not signed, expect some wild, nasty and insensitive things to be said about the PPP/C leaders on the campaign trail.
Specifically, Ganesh Mahipaul and Norton, who think it is cute and sexy to curse and say things about people personally on the campaign trail. They are part of the immaturity that forms the APNU fold. Let them hear, it is neither nice nor cute.
Finally, the public salutes all political parties that have signed. This is a step forward in the right direction. It was mature to sign. These political parties are demonstrating that gone are the days when we resort to violence and caveman or scrapehead mentality. Gone are the days when we took street protests as a means of voicing dissatisfaction with a process.
We could make the same arguments and case intelligently at the table of discussion. 2025 sees Guyana as a modern democratic state, and it is for Guyanese to prove that Norton and other parties are living in the past. The public knows that nothing beats a Jet 2 holiday, but this move apparently has. It is a sign of worrying things to come. Mark my words!
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.