The political parties have taken their campaigns to the web, setting up Facebook pages and posting videos to YouTube but little debate seems to be taking place on these forums and it remains unclear how much these would influence voters, particularly youths.
Many of the comments on the parties’ pages were in support though several posts saw others responding and there being some amount of exchanges. Attempts yesterday to get spokespersons from the major parties, PPP/C, APNU and AFC to comment on their use of social media in the campaign were futile.
The three parties update their Facebook pages regularly with posts, photos and videos. The PPP/C (http://www.facebook.com/votepppc) seemed the most active in this regard. Other pages accessed by Stabroek News via direct links from their websites were APNU’s (http://www.facebook.com/APNU.Guyana) and the AFC’s (http://www.facebook.com/ home.php?sk=group_29758201897). There are other pages in support of the parties or a particular candidate but those are not linked directly to the website of the parties and were not examined for this article.
The link from the AFC website links to a Facebook group which is not public so that someone who is not a member of the group cannot comment on a post. The APNU.Guyana Facebook page also does not permit comment from persons unless they are ‘friends’ of the page. The PPP/C page however, allows anyone to comment on a post.
As of 7.20 last evening, the PPP/C page was liked by 6450 persons, the APNU page had 4866 friends while the AFC group had 4639 members. All the parties followed similar patterns of posting updates, promoting themselves, attacking other parties and responding to claims made by others.
The PPP/C also mentioned current events such as the Guyana versus Trinidad football match last Friday. “A bag full of stuff,” was promised to those who could say how Guyana’s national team, the Golden Jaguars got their name.
But what impact social media such as Facebook will have on votes remains unclear. A small, informal canvassing of youths of voting age revealed that many had not visited the Facebook pages of the various parties and they said that this would not influence how they vote.
One youth explained that he was already “bombarded” with political ads on the television, radio and print. “I just don’t see the need to go on their web page to see what they saying when I already know what going on with them,” he said. He also pointed out that he has already decided which party he will be voting for. “I have chosen a particular party. I still don’t know what they can bring but I can’t support the PPP especially since in my estimation they haven’t done much for young people…,” he said. “I’m not comfortable here. Every time I think about the PPP going back into office, I think of leaving this country.”
The youth also cited the PPP’s “lack of vision” for the past 19 years but more particularly since he became “conscious” of the politics in the country. “They haven’t done much in my estimation… under the PPP there has been corruption, nepotism, discrimination…,” he said. He conceded that there have been “some positives” under the PPP but said that many have not been equally distributed.
“Quite frankly, I don’t think that [PPP Presidential Candidate Donald] Ramotar would be a machinery of change because… based on his campaign, his leadership style would be choreographed by someone in the background,” the youth added.
