Dear Editor,
We in the working and academic classes must never be distracted by the public antics of the Ramotar regime to truly appreciate that we have a duty to never allow an ethnically driven political force to dominate public life in Guyana again. Participate – yes, dominate – no.
That is why in increasing numbers, we must speak out in our homes, in our villages, in the newspapers and debunk this obsession with harmony as a back door to ethnic supremacy. We have a right to call a spade a spade and understand that the PPP and the PNC which dominates the APNU are ethnic political parties. No shame in that. But with that fact established, they must also know their place.
History will show it was an Afro-Guyanese leader in the form of Walter Rodney who by the late 1970s had established himself as the principle threat to the afrocentric PNC dictatorship and to the indocentric PPP because he was galvanizing support from all races. One just has to revisit history to see our people coming together at the Bourda Green to identify with the message. It was done, it can be done and it will be done again – unity. But this is a feat that neither the PPP nor the PNC which dominate the APNU can achieve.
After 50 years of suffering under various African and East Indian leaders in government (I would always discount the decade of progress from 1989-1999), by way of this failed model of ethnic supremacy and a message of ethnic fear, do we think the working class is prepared to go on for another 50 years like this? The sad truth remains that after 50 years, real freedom is still a prize to be won for the masses. So why try the same old formula that failed to work in the past? It is total insanity to do the same thing over and over and expect a different outcome.
Some vocal social commentators and newly converted APNU supporters would want to pretend they have the permission of the working class to advocate for an APNU-led government, but it appears they selectively forget the events that unfolded at the 2014 PNC Congress – voter disenfranchisement and the whole nine yards of how not to conduct one’s political affairs and mould a nation. They are misinformed to think they can play with the intelligence of the working class.
That is why it is imperative, if these partnership talks between the AFC and the APNU are to succeed, we must all be true to ourselves and ask what is the best programme and the best political construct that can motivate more people to abandon the PPP and beat them at the ballot box fair and square. Those who never voted for the PPP will continue to not vote for the PPP whether the slate is APNU led or PNC led or AFC led. But what the PNC which dominates the APNU, has failed miserably to do over the last 50 years was to peel away enough voters who traditionally voted for the PPP to win the plurality or the majority. My prediction in a three-way race, the APNU will fail again at this task. This is the intangible asset of the AFC – they have successfully peeled away some 25,000 voters from the PPP in the 2011 elections and will do even better in 2015. That is why they are important to these talks because it is the AFC that is breaking the back of the PPP, not the APNU.
That decision to walk away from the PPP was not a cosmetic decision, it is a substantial decision. There is a clear migration path for those who choose to walk away from the PPP and it is not into Congress Place. If we are honest to ourselves, ask any person from Enmore or Albion who has made the decision to abandon the PPP if they will vote for APNU and the answer will be in the negative. This is not an abnormality since if you flip the same question in Linden or Buxton and ask if they are willing to vote for the PPP, the response will be even more resoundingly negative.
Then ask members of all four of these communities, their views on the AFC and they will most likely give you a thumbs up. This is the political paradigm in which we are working.
There are thousands of former PPP supporters who will give Nigel Hughes a fighting chance to win the presidency of Guyana, but ask them to consider David Granger, regardless of how nice a fellow he is personally, and they will tell you he represents an institution that oppressed and suppressed their ancestors. So this is not about race, so let us not make it that way.
So with this background, I wish Mr Carl Greenidge and Mr David Patterson all success in these talks, but they must know they are but only plenipotentiaries of the people and until the people ask for a different paradigm, the PPP and the PNC which dominates the APNU will continue never to win the hearts of the majority of our people. This is another reason why it makes absolute sense for there to be an AFC-led coalition.
Yours faithfully,
Sase Singh
