Latest update April 19th, 2024 12:59 AM
Nov 09, 2014 Letters
Dear Editor,
An opinion survey conducted by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) last month found a large majority of the nation is opposed to the AFC’s no confidence motion that is supported by APNU (PNC) saying another election to resolve the parliamentary impasse may not result in a significantly different composition of parliament. Voters overwhelmingly say they want the three parties to focus on critical issues (like money laundering, crime, job creation, development, suicide, chikungunya and other health related matters, etc.) impacting on the nation rather than on acquiring or retaining political power. A majority is against holding fresh elections saying President Donald Ramotar should be allowed to complete his term with some favoring early elections saying the President will get a majority.
A huge majority of the voters feel the PPP will win re-election, but they are divided over whether the PPP will win with a majority or with a simple plurality and or whether it will lose any seat. Voters feel APNU (PNC) will run second in new elections and the AFC third losing several of its seats enhancing the PPP’s chance of winning a majority. Nearly a third of the voters feel the PPP will regain its majority support (it lost to the AFC in 2011) and a third saying it will garner only a plurality with a fifth saying the PNC will win a plurality because of the division in the traditional PPP base. Less than 1% said the AFC will win a plurality with many expressing the feeling that the AFC will pull enough votes from the PPP traditional base to enable the PNC (APNU) to win a plurality and retake power like it did in December 1964.
The findings also reveal that African and Mixed voters are upset with PNC-APNU leader, Brigadier David Granger, for allowing himself to be manipulated and led by its junior AFC partner rather than take an independent leadership position (for his party) on several issues, particularly on the no confidence motion. Analogously, Indian and Amerindian voters are upset with the AFC for teaming up with the PNC-APNU, and they plan to punish it at the next election for what they describe as an “unholy alliance”. Simultaneously, many Indians express anger with the PPP for “neglecting them” and attending to the interests of the PNC supporters, but they are more upset with the AFC than with the PPP saying the AFC has misled them over policy positions it took that are against theirs and the national interests.
The poll randomly interviewed 610 voters to yield a demographically representative sample (44% Indians, 30% Africans, 16% Mixed, 9% Amerindians, and 1% other races) of the population. The poll was conducted in face-to-face interviews and was coordinated by Dr. Vishnu Bisram*, pollster, newspaper columnist, and educator in NY. The results of the poll were analyzed at a 95 per cent significance level and a statistical sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points was found. Sampling results based on subgroups such as Indians or Africans or Amerindians have a larger sampling error.
Asked if they approve of the opposition’s no confidence motion to bring down the government and hold new general elections, 57% said “no” with 26% approving of it and 17% not offering a response.
Asked if they think the results of new election will be significantly different from the 2011 outcome, 52% said “no” with 37% saying “yes” and 11% saying “not sure”. Asked what they think will be the outcome of a snap election, 30% said the PPP will regain its majority with an additional 34% saying the PPP will win but with a plurality. Some 21% feel the PNC will win a plurality and an additional 2% said PNC will win a majority) with less than 1% saying the AFC will win the election. The remaining 12% expressed no opinion or are uncertain about the outcome.
The survey also polled voters to obtain the approval and favorability ratings of President Ramotar and Opposition Leader Granger, popular support for the parties in the event of a general election, as well as support for aspiring Presidential candidates of the AFC.
Vishnu Bisram
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Apr 19, 2024
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