Dear Editor,
The Liberal Party won Monday’s general elections in Canada and the incumbent Prime Minister Stephen Harper immediately congratulated the challenger Justin Trudeau and announced his resignation as leader of the Tories (Conservatives).
Such an act has not been part of the tradition of Guyana or even other Caribbean territories.
After losing an election, defeated incumbents in Third World societies hang around disgraced taking their supporters down with them until they are completely rejected by their own supporters. In Guyana in 2011, an unpopular candidate was rejected with his party losing its majority, but he hung around instead of making way for a more attractive candidate and was rejected again in 2015 – not withstanding he claimed fraud on both occasions and offered no credible evidence to support his allegations. Politicians in the US, Canada, Australia and other developed countries follow an honourable tradition and bid adieu when they lose an election and should be emulated in the Third World.
Justin Trudeau is a young man; old heads gave way to this young man who they felt had the best chance to take them to victory in Canada’s parliament.
The Liberal leader vaulted from third place two weeks ago behind the New Democrats and Tories to first place in the opinion polls winning a landslide victory.
The Democrats ended up last place switching with the Liberals after the elections. There was a record turnout of voters, especially among the young, since 1993. There was record turnout also among Guyanese, South Asian and other minority voters based on reports I received from friends in various parts of Canada. The minorities largely went Liberal.
Four days of early voting boosted turnout. There were no allegations of voter fraud although there were reports of some polling stations running out of ballots.
None of the candidates sought to win the election through fraud or multiple voting by supporters.
Guyanese and Carib-bean politicians should take a page from Harper’s book – admit political blunders, concede defeat, congratulate the winner and move on with your life so the nation can breathe and party supporters can find an attractive leader who can take them to victory in the next election.
Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram
