Latest update April 24th, 2024 12:59 AM
May 14, 2015 Letters
Dear Editor,
Despite GECOM’s hesitation to announce the results of the election, the prediction is the APNU+AFC Coalition is the clear winner and that Guyana would not be ruled by the PPP for five more years. Guyanese have elected a Coalition government with David Granger as the President and Moses Nagamootoo as the Prime Minister.
The people have confounded the PPP by voting for the opposition. The victory has been helped by Jagdeo’s dirty politics and the fear of uncertainty from the PPP which has not done much for the masses for the past 23 years. In the end the people chose decency, integrity and honest leadership over evil, dirty and nasty politics.
The PPP election strategy, which aimed to generate fear that if David Granger is elected President, ex-soldiers would kick down the doors of PPP East Indian supporters, has backfired. Jagdeo knows and the people know that he is a fear monger, a propagandist and a distortionist who cannot tell the truth.
Then there was the question of Mr. Ramotar himself. He seemed unconcerned with the fact Jagdeo had taken over the campaign as though he was the Presidential candidate and not Ramotar. During the campaign, Jagdeo was greeted with muted suspicion by the public and by some in the PPP leadership. His usurpation of the presidency has served to reduce the little clout and influence that Mr. Ramotar had as President and over the PPP as its leader.
And when in the election campaign, he was pitted against the competent David Granger, he never quite measured up as someone capable who has the requisite skills and ability to run the country. Indeed in the view of some, the PPP was defeated at the polls because of its crassness which the people did not appreciate.
Many thought that Jagdeo’s vulgar and race-bait politics during the campaign was disastrous for both the PPP and the country. Not only did it diminish the image of the PPP, but it also embarrassed many in the party, including Ms. Harper. Now there will be the issue of a leadership race for the party which could come at any time, since Ramotar did not win the election.
This could embolden many aspirants in the party to pursue the leadership, but will Jagdeo allow it. He may want to hand pick a candidate for the presidency just as he did with Ramotar four years ago. Stay tuned, seismic changes are afoot in the PPP.
It can be said, without contradiction, that in the immediate aftermath of the close election, David Granger and Moses Nagamootoo will have to move very quickly to address the animosity and rift that had emerged during the campaign. Indeed, it can be argued that the PPP more than the Coalition added to the rift by attacking each other and by appealing to their ethnic base for support. Magnanimity was shoved to the curb.
In fact, magnanimity became as scarce as integrity in public office; vilification and vituperation became as abundant as political corruption. The elections results have shown that the country is divided, therefore healing the nation should be priority number one for the leaders of the Coalition. They have to take a deep look at the fractious nature of the country and the animosity that underlies it. However, a cosmetic approach to the healing process will not suffice if APNU+AFC is to become the government of the people, by the people and for all the people.
All indications are that time is on their side and it is not farfetched for me to say that that they will seek every opportunity to unite the country. But it is clear, even to the uninformed, that they still have a great deal of work to do to bring the different races together, irrespective of which party they voted for.
The Coalition needs to come to terms with what ails the country, seek outside help, if necessary, and do the hard work required to heal the nation. A country divided cannot stand. Can David Granger bring the disparate elements together and be the transformational leader that he claims to be? There are differing views on this, but most of the people think he is the man with the ability and skills to bridge the racial divide. Although I believe that he has the visceral will to do it, time will tell.
Meanwhile, the country lumbers on and many, including supporters of the Coalition, continue to believe that APNU+AFC is the best party divinely elected to run the affairs of Guyana for the next five years. This will continue to be the order of the day for them, and the nation can only prosper from it. Those who believe in a viable democratic society had long wanted a credible alternative of governance to the corrupt PPP regime, and this is why they voted for change. It is urgent that the Coalition gets its act together. The sooner the better.
Dr. Asquith Rose
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