Dear Editor,
Around the world, the political system that allowed for continued domination by just two oligarchic parties is under threat. The recent Spanish elections clearly demonstrate this; it was the first time in some thirty years that Spanish elections were contested by more than two parties, and the results were inconclusive, forcing the need for parties to negotiate in earnest.
There are many concerns for younger people nowadays that do not resonate with the ideologies and membership of old political parties. With more young people around the world taking an active interest in politics, political parties have to become more responsive to the sensitivities of the younger generation, if they are to capture their votes.
What are the interests of the young? Economic reforms, increased educational and employment opportunities, increased trade, greater social liberties and respect for rights, transparency and public accountability and inclusivity. These issues become shaky grounds for old parties that are struggling to maintain their image among their traditional supporters, and even more dicey when having to defend their reputations in dealing with such concerns.
In the traditional two-party system, it does not take long for the two parties to become literally obsessed with each other, to the point that every move by one has to be matched by a counter-move by the other. Such dragged-out fights tend to constrain the developmental focus of the parties, and in the process the concerns of different sections of society can become lost. When such obsession takes hold, what is not looked at, can become good fodder for a third party to thrive on.
Even though they can seldom expect to rise to dominance in the near future, smaller political parties’ roles and survival are guaranteed, simply because there is a growing section of society that refuses to conform to old, laid-down (laid-back?) approaches to solving social and economic problems. The younger generations want a more pragmatic, experiential approach to solving problems, something that becomes a huge challenge for old, entrenched political parties.
‘Third forces’ and smaller political parties are thriving globally, as they give credibility to the voices of the many minorities in society. They add to the richness of the political discourse by constantly bringing new ideas to the fore.
In Guyana, the political polarisation of society between the PPP and the PNC over the past sixty years left much to be desired in the view of the emerging younger generations. In addition, a growing middle class has emerged, one characterised by the acquisition of higher education; strong commitment to professionalism; growing racial tolerance; and the desire for equitable, social justice.
In 2005, the Alliance For Change (AFC) emerged as a welcome political development, the stated objectives of which resonated with the ideals of the younger generation and the growing middle class. Many who had been pushed to the fringes for their outspoken views, became members of the party. Today, the AFC’s support in the rural areas continues to be firmly among the young and the middle class.
The challenge presented by the growing middle class in Guyana, their assertiveness, and their refusal to be bullied into a traditional political posture, has not gone unnoticed. Demerara Waves (March 10, 2014) quoted the PPP’s Clement Rohee as labelling the then-opposition APNU and AFC as a pack of “bulb-head political middle-class” who believe that they are the brightest and most knowledgeable. He charged those in attendance at the Babu John meeting with removing the opposition from among the ordinary working people. Mr Rohee had gone on to state “this must be seen as part of the political middle-class arrogance or what I would describe as the bureaucratic bourgeoisie”. In that tirade, there was acknowledgement of the influence and independence of thought among the growing middle class.
The 2015 elections saw a record voter turnout, again clearly showing that people were getting serious about the growing independence of the middle section of society, and also indicating that the AFC’s support base had not changed its views, even after agreeing to a pre-election coalition.
The AFC’s motto states that it is a “political movement to the development of Guyana and its peoples, in harmonious, transparent and accountable parliamentary process(es)”. These noble aspirations if stuck to, will resonate well with the younger generations, and the party will continue to grow if it can maintain that connection with the younger people, and others who want a clean break from old political ideologies. The party’s relevance will also increase if it can continue to present younger people with the medium for expressing their political concerns.
That is why its independence is so valuable, questions about which arise as we prepare to go into the 2016 local government elections. One must expect that political compromise will limit the number of viable ideas that reach the final discussion, and if two rather than three streams of ideas will go forward, it will severely curtail choices for the electorate.
In the areas of constitutional and electoral reform, the AFC can carve a spot in history for itself, by pressing for the kind of changes the younger people want to see. For one, that constitutional article which dictates that coalitions must be formed before, rather than after an election, is one that the AFC should push to do away with. In the absence of such a tether, the party can go into any election with its own visions, reflective of its constituents, and as the holder of the balance in power, it can negotiate on stronger grounds in the aftermath of an election in which there is no clear winner. The other constitutional reforms which people want, also speak to the sovereign role of parliament, something that was in doubt during the 10th parliament. If another minority government is installed some time in the future, we would not want a repeat of the past gimmicks.
If the AFC can home in on these things, its image as a truly concerned party will vastly improve, and so will its popularity among the young who want to see effective applications of governance strategies rather than regurgitations of political rhetoric.
Yours faithfully,
Khemraj Tulsie
