Dear Editor,
The argument has been advanced that the reason PNC rigged all elections (1968 – 1985) goes like this: Why not? If PNC didn’t rig, then PPP with its Indian numerical majority base would win all elections – and they (PNC) would be kept out of power forever. Sounds like good logic in an environment where PNC could rig and get away with it. With communism dead and with America watching over Guyana (Pompeo’s enlightened intervention), PNC can no longer rig and get away with it. PNC has to win elections if it wants to survive in this business. PNC with its significant 29% African base is suitably poised to win democratic elections. Make itself appealing to Indians, change its image – not a perceived African party but a genuine multiracial party. It has to do a real makeover. Throw out all the racists within its ranks. Apologize to the Indians for all those stolen elections (68 – 85) and the 2020 attempt to steal (not rig, but outright steal) yet another election – this will create goodwill and an opening to do dialogue with Indians.
Support the Oil Renegotiation platform. Show you can claw back $50 billion from renegotiation. Maximize pressure on Mr. Jagdeo for vowing not to ask for renegotiation. Expose any secret deals he may have had with Exxon. His position of not opting to renegotiate has all the markers of a secret agreement with Exxon – and this is a sellout of the nation. All Guyanese should read Mr. Jagdeo’s so-called White Paper titled, “Why Renegotiation is not an option”, issued by DPI under the byline of Kemol King. It is filled with rank false reasoning and hypocrisy. Mr. Jagdeo on the one hand blamed PNC’s Trotman for failing to negotiate a good contract in 2016 – but on the other he vowed not to ask for renegotiation. One party’s gov’t does a “give away”; Mr Jagdeo’s party vows to defend the “give away”. None of this makes any sense, unless either party sees Exxon as an Uncle Tom who will render special help in its hour of special needs.
PNC’s adoption of this platform position is a guaranteed win-votes proposition. Put Mr. Jagdeo on the defensive. His position is indefensible. A contract negotiated in secret, kept secret for over a year cannot be defended on the principle of “Sanctity of Contract”. A Contract fails if there is inadequate consideration. A quick comparison of Guyana’s vs. Suriname’s oil contract shows Guyana getting 2% Royalty vs Suriname’s 6.25%. On 9 billion barrels of crude, Guyana loses $25 billion (9 billion barrels times 4.25% times average price of $60 a barrel). PNC’s new leader, Mr. Norton has to recognize that $25 billion lost on royalty alone (to say nothing of profit share and zero corporate income tax) is money worth fighting for.
Mr. Norton has to put himself in parliament – and use parliament to promote his campaign/platform positions. Mr. Norton has to differentiate himself from PNC’s past leaders. He must be an anti-corruption fighter and a promoter of non-discriminatory policies in Guyana’s multi-racial society. Finally his party has to be nice to the Indian people of Guyana. PNC simply cannot win an election without a threshold minimum of 12% Indian support. All democratic societies must develop a significant pool of swing/issues voters – this is a group of voters that will transcend race and is willing to change their vote from one party to another based on that party’s record on the issues. A society in which 95% of the people vote race, the party rooted in the largest ethnic group will always win national elections. Mr. Norton must work to change that culture of race voting in Guyana.
BTW, Mr. Granger totally misunderstands the ABC’s of how-to-win elections in a multiracial society. He blamed all the people who defected from PNC as the cause of losing. The PNC simply did not have broad-based multiracial support – that’s the reason for losing in 2020.
Sincerely,
Mike Persaud
