Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jan 25, 2015 News
The date has been set and the race is on. The opposition got its election date and now to defeat the ruling PPP government, the PNC/APNU and the AFC are in talks, working on a strategy. They plan to join forces and contest the election as one entity with the hope of getting over that 50 per cent hump.
You know a funny thought came to me as I read about the talk of merging forces to defeat the PPP. I will deal with that merger idea in a later article, but what I have to say for now is more or less for the young voters.
As long as I can remember every change in the voting system was meant not to benefit the Guyanese people, but was mainly to defeat the PPP. It was always about defeating the PPP.
Back in 1957 the British “gerrymandered” the voting districts in an effort to defeat the PPP. This came after the British Government suspended the Constitution and threw out the PPP Government that was democratically elected. In fact they jailed some of the leaders, including Cheddi Jagan,
The British Government changed the electoral system again in 1961, I believe; now there was a bicameral legislature, a house and Senators. The PPP won that election handsomely, which did not sit well with the British, Americans as well as the PNC led by Forbes Burnham. While not getting into too much detail it is suffice to say that the opposition led by the PNC instigated strikes, protests, arson and violence in an attempt to destabilize if not overthrow the PPP government. It was a very dark period in Guyana’s history. The PPP survived.
So another plan was hatched by the British Government, along with the opposition led by the PNC. The 1961 election was based on a “first past the post” system. Now a new system was devised called Proportional Representation, which is basically the same system in place now.
The idea being the PPP cannot get a 50 per cent of the votes so they either have to form a coalition government or be in the opposition. So planned so done, the PPP never got 50 per cent in the following election and the then opposition parties the PNC and the UF (United Force) joined forces to form the government.
It was the beginning of a dictatorship that would last from the 60s to 1992. I should mention that the UF got used by Burnham and the PNC; it was kicked out of government after a few of its parliamentarians defected (crossed the floor) to the PNC. Do you see why now no Parliamentarians can cross the floor?
So come 1992 elections which is considered the first fair and free elections since the 1960’s and the PPP got over the 50% vote to form the Government. The PPP has since won every election with over 50% of the electorate leading up to 2011 elections when it fell under the 50% but was still able to form the government as provided in the Constitution.
What is important to note is that this same Proportional Representation (PR) system that was implemented to defeat the PPP is now deemed to be not fair; some go as far to say it’s not democratic.
The opposition wants a new system to defeat the PPP. Mind you, this has nothing to benefit the electorate; it was all about defeating the PPP. While on the subject, much is made today about the Indo Guyanese vote to put the PPP in power. It’s about time this myth, this nonsense be dispelled. No political party can win an election based on ethnic voting, because no one race is 50% of the population.
The PPP had to get multi ethnic votes to attain the 50% votes. Note at one election they got 55/% of the votes. There is no doubt that the majority of Indo Guyanese vote PPP while the majority of Afro Guyanese vote PNC. But there are independent minded people in those groups that vote beyond race.
The PPP had gained cross over votes, and if you think all Indo Guyanese vote PPP ask the AFC from where they got their majority of votes in the last elections. Which brings us to the latest effort of the PNC/APNU and AFC joining forces to contest the coming election. (Talks are still ongoing). What is so comical about this is that the minority partner, the AFC wants, to make it an AFC led alliance; meaning the Presidency or nothing. I will have more to say on this in a later article.
Now after that little piece of history which I am sure will generate some hate mail, we come to the present.
Why did President Donald Ramotar set an election date without dissolving Parliament? Why did he set the date when the CXC exams are on? Was this a deliberate act by the President or an oversight? The PPP will not do anything without a motive behind it.
Those CXC exams will put the opposition in a “spot” if it decides to carry out protests as it did at the last elections. If the opposition does anything that will disrupt the election and hence the exams, it will make them look bad. That’s not the image the opposition would want, being blamed for disrupting exams.
Why was Parliament not dissolved? What surprise has the PPP in store?
It must not surprise anyone if the PPP brings a budget to Parliament. Yes some would say its “bare face” but the PPP might very well call Parliament back to debate a Budget. Then what would the opposition do, still go ahead with its vote of no confidence? It would be very interesting folks; keep your “fingers crossed”. I think there is a surprise coming up in the next few weeks.
Ralph Seeram can be reached at email: [email protected] and Facebook.
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