Dear Editor,
The present focus is on Covid-19 and the delay in the results of the March 2nd, 2020, General and Regional elections. This is as it should be, but our priority should also be on changing our electoral system of government, Proportional Representation (PR). This system was foisted on us by our colonial masters, the British, in 1964 to replace the “First past the post (FPTP) system, when they coerced the then Prime Minister Cheddi Jagan, to sign an agreement to the change, as a precursor to them granting Guyana independence. Jagan’s signature gave them the ability to subvert the Constitution which had upheld the FPTP system.
PR has allowed Parties and not the populace, to elect the representatives they want in Parliament. This is an egregious state of affairs. It gives a huge amount of power to people who are not chosen by the populace to wield that power. PR has adversely affected politics in Guyana since its establishment because of the continuous existence of only two main political Parties, their different ethnic origins and people’s inclination to vote for their ethnic group. The argument for the PR system is that all classes are represented as each Party gets as many seats as the proportion of votes the Party polls at the elections. Also, coalitions could be formed to surpass a dominant group.
However, the FPTP system is more beneficial and relevant to Guyana’s chaotic political situation, as it will provide accountability. The citizens will vote for a person and if he/she does not serve them well, they can demand better or ask questions, regarding inefficiency or malfeasance. Also, the ongoing squabbles and bacchanal that occur in Parliament will be eliminated as there will be no clashing of ideas and conflicts between numerous Parties, as are able to gather under the scope of the PR system. Parliamentarians will be elected from their different Regions/Constituencies and they will have to earn their vote based on their performance in those areas. Their popularity will have to be generated from face-to-face meetings with the public, whereby social issues could be raised and the candidates commit to undertake them. Hence, their sincerity would easily be revealed by their efforts or lack of efforts.
These systems exist in progressive countries like the U.S., the UK, Canada and the Nordic group. Similar to the importance of changing our Constitution, our flawed electoral process must be changed to establish credibility in our politicians and consequently in our way of life. A prominent lawyer assumed the task of constructing the legal framework for Constitutional change, years ago, but he seems to have abandoned that honourable pursuit for the greater, personal, economic gain from our developing oil industry. At the outset of the Covid-19 pandemic in Guyana, he expressed his concern for the worldwide drop in the price of oil and its economic impact on our development. No mention was made of the perilous nature of Covid -19. It is always disconcerting that regardless of the severe issues facing our populace, Guyana’s leaders think that their individual accumulation of wealth must be juxtaposed with their title or social class.
At the introduction of our PR system of government by the British, our illustrious attorney and politician. Sir Fenton Ramsahoye had said : “Guyana is a nation born in treachery.” We need to complete our accomplishments of independence and republic status by changing our electoral system.
Yours faithfully,
Conrad Barrow