Our elections are always an interesting period to observe. The fear, mistrust and misinformation that usually festers unnoticed has the tendency to run amok in times such as these. With fear serving as one of the driving forces behind our broken spell of multi-ethnic unity, our political differences can see a rapid and profound devolution of our commitment towards a long called for cohesion.
With the majority of Guyanese still anxiously awaiting the results of this elections, a lot of questions circle their minds. Amongst them are very valid concerns over whether they would lose their jobs, opportunities or be forced out of their home country. Neither side trusts the other to look after their interests and this is the root of our problem. These fears are valid given our history in which the winner would lay out the developmental path for those who looked like and supported them. The rest of the populace were meanwhile either deliberately or inadvertently disenfranchised, becoming involved in a sticky web of ethnic subjugation of each other. While it is sad that in this age the question still needs to be raised about whether our elected government would structurally oppose the upliftment of people who don’t look like them, it is a question that plagues even the most independent minded of us. This can see us taking sides in an age-old war because if it is one thing minorities cannot afford, it’s neutrality in the face of oppression.
While I have read of and heard stories of the ethnic unrest that descends upon us at elections time, as a nineties baby, I’ve never been witness to how this unrest is orchestrated by politicians and then acted upon by their supporters. It was also interesting for me to experience the changed narrative of the post-election violent hooligans who would wreak havoc upon us. In the days leading up to the election, I had to endure those who were preparing for the doom and gloom of black people’s wrath. Their arguments for the most part centred around stereotypical ideas of black persons as criminals and hooligans. As sad as it is to find relief in such a situation, I must admit to being relieved that Afro-Guyanese in their retaining of peace, revealed the slips of the doom and gloom preppers. It is a curious thing to watch how the narrative of violent opposition actors is being framed as a necessary liberatory fight towards democracy. Were this violence to emanate from people who looked like and have similar lineages however, I’m sure the narrative would have been much different.
The mayhem, destruction and targeted attacks seen recently in many Indo-Guyanese communities was less about the pursuit of democracy and more about ethnic domination, control and who has the right to rule. The sad thing is that the ones who risk life, limbs and relationships to defend the actions and skewed agendas of politicians are the ones who are first to be overlooked when these same elites get into power. We have a long way to go in recognizing that the will of select politicians is not the will of the people. With the Region 4 verification process still moving along at its own slovenly pace and allegations of rigging and tampering still emanating from both sides, we might have quite some more time before a winner is announced by GECOM. Not that this announcement will matter as regardless of the results, there will be a rejection of it from one side. Should the opposition be declared the winner, this will be fiercely rejected by coalition supporters. Should the coalition be announced the winner, there will of course continue to be even more fierce allegations of rigging and the violence that comes with it. This is happening even now with insinuations already coming from opposition reps that agents are in the process of falsifying SOPs for the coalition. We all know to what end these accusations are made yet we continue to fall into the traps set by career politicians’ time and time again.
The possibility of continued and escalated levels of violence post verification and declaration will leave new gaping wounds in our relations with each other. We have reached another cross-road in our history wherein the decisions we make can lead to an evolution of our politics if we were to heed calls of elder activists such as Eusi Kwayana and Moses Bhagwan for political compromise and power sharing. This is a call that must be supported by all Guyanese committed to the development of our nation and a rejection of the divisive ethnic politics we have become known for. Given our strict winner takes all electoral process, power sharing really is one of the only ways in which we can begin to reconcile and heal from the traumas we have inflicted on ourselves as a people. Power sharing would go a long way in easing the tensions amongst the two major ethnic groups as it would show a bridled commitment to working together. While individual calls for calm and peace are all well and good, the fact that they remain stoic and unconvincing in the face of previous energetic calls for unrest makes them shallow and ineffective. Given the nature of power and those who seek it though, I’m not optimistic that our people would ever benefit from the new possibilities shared governance would bring.
