Dear Editor,
The Guyana political spectrum has been dominated by two parties since the fifties, the PPP and the PNC. They have together ruled Guyana for over 40 years, yet neither of the two can shout about any substantial achievement other than the building of infrastructural edifices. These may project the appearance of progress but they mask our true strengths and what we can really achieve as Guyanese and contribute to the world. In fact, we have been unable to create a culture that would breed, encourage, and promote values that would really improve our lot. Endowed with natural resources we are still struggling after gaining independence to achieve some kind of economic advance, a basis for true social advancement, and, indeed, to provide an ambience in which Guyanese can survive in relative peace, stability, and progress.
The PNC could be vainglorious about a vibrant foreign policy which brought respect and overshadowed its other failings and foibles, but protected Guyana from being reduced to a smaller geographical space and earned it respect and admiration at international fora. The PPP, however, can only trumpet and crow about heavy cosmetic infrastructural changes while in reality it is overseeing a decaying society rife with corruption, laced with drugs, declining moral standards and of late, torture by the joint services, while its President is traversing the world like a global tourist at taxpayers’ expense and is not even bringing back any mementoes from these trips. It is, and will forever be, like the Greek mythological king, Tantalus, where everything is, and will always be out of reach. Is this all that we in Guyana really want and are satisfied with?
For progress to be accentuated, advanced, and achieved, there is a great need for a political upheaval in the way things are done in Guyana. Guyanese are still presented little choice in politics and while there is some movement to provide a wider range of choices emerging parties still offer nothing new and exciting and very limited choices as to where Guyana should go. It was for this reason that many were excited by the potential for change within the structure of the PNC at its recent internal party elections, where electing Winston Murray as its leader offered up all kinds of possibilities for change in the political landscape for and in the future of Guyana. Questionable actions influencing the outcome of those elections, however, have all but killed any chances of the PNC ever winning any general elections or making tangible contributions to the welfare of Guyana in the foreseeable future under present leadership. It has become the perfect foil for the other political one-eyed behemoth in Guyana (a reversal of roles actually) and the broken mirror into which the PPP often looks.
Winston Murray has had a long association in and with the governance of Guyana. His association with the PNC is well known, but, above it all, he is known and respected for his loyalty to Guyana, sincerity, honesty, independent thinking, and concern for the welfare of all things Guyanese. As a consequence, he should consider running in the next general elections as an independent candidate as he offers the best choice as a transitional leader to lead Guyana out of the present rut and into things that are brighter and more promising. He has the political and educational experience as well as the international standing. He is respected by his peers and is known in the Guyanese community. He can appeal to and attract a wider cross-section of the population than most could in Guyana. He, if successful, can provide the balance of power and moderate, if not obliterate, the excesses of actions and policies that are detrimental to Guyana’s progress. It is for all these reasons that I will cast my lot with Winston Murray should he ever decide to run.
It is time too for Guyanese to grow up and not see things and make choices through the prism of race both in their daily lives and in the ballot boxes. Such choices will only continue to feed political avarice and opportunism and if we continue to do so, we will have, indeed, chosen a tunnel with no light at the end.
Yours faithfully,
RN Mungol