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We need to get past the frivolous drivel that passes for politicking

Mar 21, 2011 Letters

Dear Editor,
It is amazing that every time some Guyanese politicians approach a general election, much campaigning is done around events that have occurred decades in the past. What is fascinating to me, and I believe many other Guyanese, is the fact that there seem to exist a fertile mental environment for these selective ‘ancient’ historical recollections.
I wonder why in 2011, some politicians are still desperately grabbing at long forgotten political occurrences as some form of currency that they believe can engender political resolve among the modern Guyanese voter. The recent desecration at Babu John where PNCR presidential candidate Brigadier David Granger was selected for some persuasive, unintelligible, historically incorrect exclamations by the President about allegations almost 40 years old is as funny as it is imprudent.
The mantra of ‘28 years’ that was used in 1992 and 1997 to scare some sections of the Guyanese people about some time when the PNCR ruled has long expired. Now that a well-qualified and highly respected historian and academic is the presidential candidate of the PNCR, we see the current administration and its hapless minions aggressively trying to resurrect some incident 40 years ago that he might have been a part of.
What I find ridiculous is the audience that is supplied for these irrelevant claims that are hastily being dusted off and used as some political means to an end. Why at this stage of our political crossroads some politicians, more so those in the government can only reach deep into the distant past and try to mudsling members of the opposition? The issues being dredged up are not relevant to the current electorate; therefore, to do so only serves to create a lack of depth, integrity and political astuteness.
Guyanese are experiencing 19 years of PPP rule. Surely there must be significant achievements that the government can use to demonstrate its justification for being voted for at this upcoming election.
It would be refreshing if issues of transparency, corruption, good governance, law and order, sustained economic development, racial harmony, education and health sector reforms can form the basis of the political discourse that lead up to elections 2011.
We need to get past the frivolous drivel that passes for politicking in Guyana where character assignation, vindictiveness and harassment are used as key elements of political campaigns instead of debating pertinent national issues.
There must be some historical perspective employed when formulating political campaign strategies. But to be relevant, politicians can use the last 10 years as a period for political and historical analyses.
If not, they can use the last 19 years. Both sides I believe can find very salient points of references on which to hinge their campaigns. The youth that forms the basis of the electorate are not interested in 40-year-old allegations. However, many might be interested in what happened in Guyana from 1992 to now.
Richard Francois

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