Reject elections under the old discredited winner take all political system

Apr 17, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Any nation that takes itself seriously and cherishes its nationhood must periodically, indulge in objective self examination and, also engage in self criticism.
These are necessary steps in helping to determine hindrances to national cohesion and development. This is also true for racial/ethnic groups in a nation state – Guyana is no exception to this general rule.
As a political/cultural activist I have throughout my entire adult life been aware that that which is obvious and is straight forward is very often not the case. In Guyana’s situation, more often than not proposals that are intended to address objectively the problems which plague this country are dismissed out of hand by the skeptics.
There are several examples which I can point to but the one which tops my list and is cause for tremendous concern, is that which deals with governance and the exclusion of race groups other than the Indian community from the corridors of power in the society.
Now that we are approaching the constitutionally due 2011 general elections the need for the nation and in particular the African Guyanese community, to reassess itself is clear for all to see. Our failure to do so will lead to a repeat of the mistakes we made in the past.
The moment of truth has arrived for the African leadership – both formal and informal – to take stock of the situation and for it to decide how best to deal with the political challenges which the African community has to confront.
The upcoming general elections provide us with the opportunity to look at what has happened to the African community since 1992, where we are at this juncture and where we want to be located post elections, 2011.
If we accept that since the elections of 1992 the African community has retrogressed rather than progressed we have to ask why this has happened and what is it we need to do to change the status quo.
I submit here that what is critical to the state in which the African community finds itself is the existing Westminster take all electoral system which is a millstone around the necks of members of the community as it is also around the necks of this country’s indigenous people and other ethnic groups.
That system has to be dismantled and replaced by one which allows for all of our citizens, through their elected representatives to participate meaningfully in a new governance arrangement that is based on executive power sharing.
We have to understand that wishing for such an arrangement to happen will not make it happen. The kind of change we desire will only result from hard, intense struggle.
It will not be given to us on a platter. We must therefore examine what, if any options there are at our disposal, which will help to give effect to the changes we desire.
In my estimation I believe we should invest our energies and resources in a constitutional struggle to realise our goals – this will also mean not participating in elections without the requisite reforms that ends the winner take all political system.
The alternative is to enter the elections without the above, fully aware that we don’t have the numbers at our disposal to defeat the PPP/C.
When we also take into consideration the African community’s weak financial base and the country’s known history of racial voting, the rulers’ alliance with the drug cartels and the unlimited advantages of incumbency, electoral victory remains an elusive dream even if we contest the election as a united opposition with one slate.
As I have said above “our moment of truth has arrived” the world is watching and our people’s aspirations are clear. They want meaningful political change that liberates them from the historical political/racial entrapment with its known negative consequences. Our history of winner take all elections has demonstrated in no uncertain way that election under the winner take all political system has done a great disservice to our efforts at nation building, economic and social development. More importantly, if we fail to effectively address our political crisis we are likely to become a failed state – the rulers alliance with the drug cartels has already turned Guyana into a criminal state. The only sensible option for the African community and the nation is to invest in our future and struggle to win shared governance before the 2011 general elections. Any other approach will be political gambling. We have to say no to the casino mentality of our politicians.
It is now apparent with the recent announcement by Mr. Robert Corbin that he will not be the Presidential Candidate for the PNCR in the 2011 election and the party is looking for a consensus candidate, either from the PNCR or the wider opposition forces. I am forced to ask if the major political force in the African Community is now signaling its willingness to participate in the next general elections without the Constitutional reforms for shared governance which it is on record as demanding. If the answer to this question is yes, this retrogressive decision can only provide the rulers with great political comfort.
The PPP/C can now concentrate all its efforts on winning the next election under the old winner take all political system. Many political observers inside and outside the African community, had predicted that Mr. Corbin and the PNCR will contest the 2011 election without a new political system.
Can it be that they read Corbin and his party correctly? On my part I was very optimistic that the PNCR leadership would have resisted the temptation of going to the elections under the old system.
I hope that my optimism was not misplaced. If this decision to contest the elections with the status quo unchanged is true, it poses a challenge to other section of the African leadership in particular to ACDA, to stand in defence of the future of Africans by mobilizing the African masses against committing political suicide.
We must work for the African masses to reject elections under the old discredited winner take all political system – we must not legitimise the PPP/C’s domination of the African people. Our moment of truth has arrived.
Tacuma Ogunseye

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