This article was written to clarify my own views of some of the pitfalls and possibilities that may result from the 2011 elections, given my orientation towards shared governance. I could possibly have waited until the outlines of an outcome were known before completing and submitting it, but concluded that thoughts may have slightly more credibility if they were known to have been written pre-results. Firstly, regardless of who wins these elections, I think they have put to rest any residual PPP/C notion that it has been able to bridge the racial divide. Even with massive use of its incumbency, it has not been able to fundamentally change the context and if it wins, the structure of Guyanese society is likely to remain unchanged. As I have argued before, the majoritarian parliament that will result will be all but useless; it will perpetuate the PPP/C’s dominance of the political process, and the abuses to which we have become accustomed and against which there has been so much complaint can recur at any point.
Some believe that as president, Donald Ramotar is likely to be more forthcoming and may even not be opposed to forms of shared governance and inclusiveness. Even if this is so, given the numerous investigations and enquiries that the opposition will require for a return to normalcy, I doubt that he will be given the policy space to make any kind of radical departure from the norm. In any case, as he promises only business as usual, the battle for governance reform will have to be