Latest update April 27th, 2024 12:59 AM
Dec 06, 2013 Letters
Dear Editor,
The process of choosing executives to run the parties and or selecting candidates to contest elections in Guyana is broken. An election is imminent but democratic reforms empowering people are lacking. Urgent reform in choosing party leaders is needed or better yet a complete replacement of the system is most apt. What we have had in Guyana since independence is what existed in America for a long time and was referred to as Tammany Hall machine politics, when a few party leaders met behind closed doors and selected executives to run the party and selected candidates for office through a corrupt process that excluded supporters of the party. It is most undemocratic and the Americans, the bastion of racism and imperialism, according to our nationalist leaders, replaced the system, giving voters the power to run the party and select candidates for office.
Democracy for the poor and the working class in America did not come easy. American voters went to court and successfully challenged the system that was against them. The court ruled in favor of the voters and mandated that all voters must be allowed to join a party and must have the right to elect party leaders as well as nominate candidates in Primary elections.
If we are so much interested in democracy and rights of the people, then we should emulate the American model of democratic governance.
Our political leaders in Guyana used to refer to America as the greatest imperialist nation. This imperialist nation is now home to more Guyanese than Guyana itself – clearly showing that Guyanese prefer to live under imperialist rule than socialist rule.
America allows Guyanese Americans to join a party and to select a candidate to represent them for any elective office. When will our democratic working class, socialist leaders in the AFC, PNC (APNU), and PPP allow Guyanese to choose executives and leaders of their parties or to vote to nominate a candidate seeking elective office (Parliament, Regional, Local Council, etc)? When will we do away with this fraudulent process of a small number of people selecting delegates to a convention who meet behind closed and vote for the executives of parties? When will we end the undemocratic process of small committees in the three parties choosing Presidential candidates behind closed doors – not even allowing debates and discussions?
Imperialists give Guyanese Americans a free choice. It is time the leaders of the socialist working class paradise of Guyana allow the workers to choose Presidential candidates and those wanting to run for office. Who within any of the parties has the courage to condemn the undemocratic process? Who among them has the testicular fortitude, as the American working class, to go to court and challenge the undemocratic process?
If the leaders in Guyana are true democrats and have faith and confidence in voters, then they should emulate the American model – give all voters a choice to become member of a party and hold primary elections for the voters (members of a party) to chose their leaders and candidates. I conducted NACTA opinion polls in 2010 and 2011 on the issue and almost everyone supported the idea.
Everyone feels the members of the parties should choose their Presidential and Prime Ministerial candidates, among other positions up for grabs, and that the positions should be opened to all members of the party not just a small handful in an elite committee. When will the Opposition, that controls a majority, introduce a bill to empower voters allowing them to vote for their party leaders, Presidential and parliamentary candidates? Give us one-person-one-vote so that deals are not made among a select few. The people have the ability to determine the best person to lead the party into general election.
Vishnu Bisram
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