The opposition is sacrificing genuine representation on the altar of personal advancement

Apr 04, 2021 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

In a functioning democracy, the role of the opposition is to scrutinise and hold the government accountable for good governance. The opposition APNU+AFC coalition in its present form has abdicated its responsibility of representing the people who voted for them and the remainder that continues to support them. What is the strategy to mobilise and represent people, and return to government? If this is the intention of this current outfit, then even with 30/30 vision this cannot be seen. During the last election, the party led its members down a rabbit hole, and at the end of that saga to today, they are only leading their followers down a path of destruction.
In Guyana, the two major political parties draw their support from the two major ethnic blocs. While not ideal for the building of a cohesive society, this is a demographic reality that is rooted in the historical evolution of Guyana, as a nation state. The difference with the APNU+AFC coalition is that they believe they have a right to the support of the Afro Guyanese whether or not their representation and support is effective and productive. In this new era, the coalition needs to draw support based on effective service and genuine representation rather than relying on ethnic insecurities. I have never been a fan of Anil Nandlall, but he made some stinging accusations of misrepresentation of the Afro Guyanese in his 2021 budget contribution that are still to be answered by the coalition.
The so-called Leader of the PNC and coalition has disappeared since the March 2020 election, and has not even addressed the 217,000 people that voted for the coalition. Many of these voters are drawn from underprivileged and underserved Afro communities. If the coalition is serious and genuine about representation of black people, why are they silent in those areas? Interestingly the void is being filled by PPP government ministers, who have demonstrated a ‘boots on the ground’ approach to communities and governance. There are examples of them fulfilling community requests with record speed. This is the modern age of social media and the internet, and telling people that you are entitled to their support based on their demographic circumstances will not hold water. Service to the people and tangible actions that result in human, economic, and community development will translate into support. I am in no position to accurately pronounce on how genuine the support of the government is for these communities, but once people receive tangible support and see real development in their communities the pendulum will swing away from the coalition to the government.
It is even further noteworthy that the coalition followed up with some action after one of their MPs alleged assault at the hands of a government minister, and another former official under that administration was arrested for alleged misconduct. The opposition coalition MPs’ actions after these events showed their true colours when it comes to the representation of people. Suddenly they were no longer paper tigers and a press statement opposition, but they swung into action. So obsessed were they with the defence of their MP that they danced and shouted in the parliament while abdicating their responsibility to scrutinise the budget estimates, and ensure that the same Afro Guyanese communities were receiving their fair share of the national pie. Is it that you are only entitled to representation and protest action when you occupy/occupied high and favoured office? It was a shameful display of favouring elites over the rank and file supporters and ordinary black people.
The nature of Guyana’s ethnic structure and the insecurities require a strong advocate for Afro Guyanese who form the major political bloc that do not support the government. The opposition is sacrificing this genuine representation on the altar of personal advancement.

Yours truly,
Jerrick Rutherford