Latest update April 18th, 2024 12:59 AM
Feb 12, 2014 Letters
Dear Editor,
I refer to Dr. Vishnu Bisram’s letter titled, “It will be impossible for Hinds to win the presidential nomination when party stalwarts could not do it” (SN Jan. 31st). Dr. Bisram should know that the PPP does not have elections to pick its leader. It’s a selection process.
First a 15-member committee selects the candidate, and then these same 15-members sit in a larger committee of thirty-six to rubber stamp the candidate. So if the original fifteen decide that changing the ethnic image of the party is important for the party and the nation, then that group can make its decision become reality. It is not impossible for the PPP to select PM Sam Hinds as its presidential candidate.
After serving the PPP in the role of PM for 21 years, it is time for PM Sam Hinds to be offered full membership rights and privileges of the party. I have previously argued that the whole Civic-construct has no societal or constitutional role – It is not a minor party in a coalition. It is a fraud perpetrated on the nation.
The real issue is the risk the party must take. Would a significant number of its base of Indian supporters jump ship? Would it win over as many votes from the African group and come out with a net gain? These are the considerations. And, this is the risk I have been urging both ethnic parties to take to essentially and fundamentally change the ethnic politics of this nation.
We have already come a long way from the 1960s, a time when “every last man voted race”, when it was a betrayal of your race to vote for the alternative ethnic party. Today the Guyanese people – both Africans and Indians – have demonstrated a new social and political consciousness. The proof is there for all to see. A third party, AFC has won 7-seats in the last two elections. Both Africans and Indians have supported the AFC. This is a healthy trend that must be supported. It augurs well, full of promise, for the evolution of a genuine multi-racial democracy befitting a diverse society. Let us do everything possible to end strict ethnic voting for ethnic parties.
Guyana is poised at a cross-road: It can choose to move forwards, evolve into a genuine multi-racial democracy or move backwards into the 1960’s politics of “every last man voting race”. Read Dr. Bisram’s writings carefully – he is calling for strict racial voting. His only reason for calling for reconciliation between PPP and former Indian members Nagamootoo and Ramkarran is to achieve racial solidarity and strict racial voting. He wants to put the genie back into the bottle.
The ultimate pre-conditions of a real, viable democracy in a diverse society is that the parties must be perceived as multi-racial, they must win broad-based multi-racial support – and most importantly there must be a large enough pool of issues or swing voters. Swing voters would decide the outcome of elections. They would cause the baton of power to change every few cycles. In this way genuine democracy can almost guarantee responsible and accountable governments.
The current 15-member ruling group in the PPP has tarnished its reputation. The members have solidified the ethnic image. They have put in place an ugly configuration that allows them to appoint an African PM – but who could not ever succeed to the presidency, no matter what circumstance creates a vacancy.
This is an attack on the sensibilities on all decent people, not just African-Guyanese. Guyana stands diminished in the eyes of the world because of the PPP’s crazy racist set-up. And, Dr. Bisram gallantly defends this practice.
Dr. Bisram is adamantly opposed to these notions of forging a genuine multiracial democracy. He is arguing for the retention of pure ethnic parties and strict ethnic voting. (He has advocated the same thing for Trinidad. Tony Veira criticized him for his racist strategies in SN). He is arguing for the status quo – one race dominating over another. He is an advocate of a racist ideology.
Mike Persaud
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