Dear Editor,
Now that the PNC Party internal election is over, it is my hope Mr. Aubrey Norton look deep in the mirror and reflect on his party’s poor achievements since 1964; bankrupting Guyana several times, neglect of its base; election rigging, violence which will not help the PNC win any future elections since the PNC base is only about 29% of Guyana’s population. The most misplaced myth is juxtaposing BLM on the Guyana landscape when the other people of Guyana are also Brown and Black. All these machinations only alienate the PNC from the larger Guyanese population. To begin with, Afro Guyanese leadership inherited the mantle of independence and ruled Guyana by a brutal dictatorship. They were only a plurality. Indo-Guyanese was the majority of the population. Indians had no political representation in the country from 1964 to 1992. Only through rigging did the Burnham dictatorship remain in power, and that’s exactly how the minority PNC ruled the majority of Guyana. The PNC and its supporters did not complain. The status-quo was acceptable to them. Today, Afro-Guyanese are still the majority in the armed forces, the police, the public sector, and most heads of departments. Furthermore, many Afro-Guyanese own their own businesses, or, are self-employed. Also, many Indians are Black and they have been marginalized throughout history.
Does Mr. Aubrey Norton wants to be a leader of Guyana and all Guyanese? Or will he continue to use the race card? How long will he continue to fool his supporters that Indians stole the 2020 elections? This myth has been used to sow discord between the two groups, but Afro-Guyanese are not falling for it. Both groups coexist peacefully in Guyana. They know that the PNC tried to rig the national election of 2020. It was on global display for five long months. How often was the PNC/AFC cabinet in black villages in Guyana? They did nothing for Afro-Guyanese community, much less for others. When farmers complained about the APNU/AFC neglect for the agriculture sector, I penned a letter and sent it to APNU members. They ignored it, just like they ignored their supporters in Linden, Kildonan or Sophia. They imposed exorbitant VATs on all Guyanese. They raised fees on everything. My land rates and fees went up by 300%, but they did not care. Many people who left the PPP for the Coalition, returned to the PPP in 2020 and that’s why the PPP won. No one “installed the Irfaan Ali” government. It was the PNC/AFC corruption, neglect of the Guyanese people, violations of the constitution and exchanging gold jewelry among heads and staff using state funds during holiday parties that led to the PPP win in 2020.
Does the PNC realize that no one ethnic group can win an election in Guyana today? Afro-Guyanese are about 29% of Guyana, and the PNC will need other races to vote for their ticket like what happened in 2015. However, what happened in March to July 2020, will keep the PPP in power for another decade. This isn’t “mental laziness,” but rather, an issue of security for Indo-Guyanese. The world is a different place today, and the PNC knows that well. They are no longer the utensils of the Cold War. The United States has no need for them. They can’t rig and use violence to bully and burn Indian votes. Furthermore, CARICOM is no longer accepting PNC rigging and violence. Africa isn’t listening to the PNC fake cries. Accra, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam, Addis Ababa and Pretoria are aware of the PNC’s long history of political and ethnic machinations. Mr. Norton and his party have no moral backbone to talk about, “we have to put an end to this kleptocracy, and we cannot allow the resources of this country to be siphoned off by a corrupt PPP cabal.” This is the same PNC that has bankrupted Guyana every time they are in office. When they were in office, they did little to root out corruption in government, build transparent institutions and social cohesion. Above all, they have done little to uplift their base since 1964, and constantly look to Indians as scapegoats.
At the Desmond Hoyte memorial event some days ago, Mr. Norton said that his party’s recent elections is an “ indication that the party’s constituents want a “vigorous response” to any corrupt intentions of the PPP/C government to squander the country’s patrimony through reckless spending and bloated…” May I remind Mr. Norton that his supporters want to see the corrupt and incompetent PNC dinosaur gone. They are not looking for confrontation. They want to see Norton take over immediately the leadership from Lil Joe; recall and appoint new PNC Parliamentarians. PNC supporters want to see their party in governance take Guyana to new heights in social, economic and political development, and not confrontation. It’s time Mr. Norton’s party set good examples as role models. This can begin with a hard look in the mirror and stop looking for scapegoats. Mr. Norton must demonstrate that he will be a leader of all Guyanese and disassociate himself from radical racist elements of the PNC and their social media surrogates.
Sincerely,
Ray Chickrie
