The PPP will return to office without pre-election unity from the other parties

May 16, 2011 Letters

Dear Editor,
Due to the phobia of another PNC most Indo-Guyanese will vote for the PPP/C. While many may hope and wishfully think that the PNCR or the AFC will win the next elections, the racial make-up of Guyana – the demographics – will not allow this once people vote along racial lines (which will happen in the majority of cases.)You may disagree with me and say the young and floating voters will do otherwise. However, you also need to take into consideration that these same young people are socialized, conditioned and influenced by the older people, usually family members and primary groups.
Many Indo-Guyanese were discriminated against during the 28 years of PNC rule. Card carrying members of the PNC got the best jobs, the scholarships, the promotions, housing and other benefits.
Many Afro-Guyanese in undeserving high positions were callous, arrogant, hostile and made Indo-Guyanese feel intimidated and unwelcomed in government offices.
They were only nice when they successfully solicited bribes and extorted monies which they felt they had the right to do. Corruption, sweetheart deals, fraud and squander mania were rampant.
Thugs beat people just for attending PPP public meetings and many persons were victimized for non-compliance with asinine directives. While I do not want to generalize, the injustices were contagious within government and becoming widespread. (I left Guyana in 1989 when, while teaching in Essequibo, six of us were victimized for being absent from school when FITUG called a one-day strike. At that time I had been a PPP member for two decades.)
People still remember that there were long lines for basic foodstuff including bread and powdered milk while the privileged stockpiled and distributed them at their whims.
In addition, Indo-Guyanese felt that banning items such as split peas, flour and potatoes was done purposefully to punish them.
The present PPP/C government is no better. It may, in fact, be far worst. Embezzlement, sweetheart deals, bloated contracts, nepotism, cronyism and incompetence are the order of the day.
While I again do not want to generalise, these vices are communicable and ubiquitous. Many would prefer the PPP/C if they were to clean up their act and have good, honest, fair and capable government. But that is not going to happen.
Embedded in office for so long and confident of racial votes, they would become colder, snobbish and callously ignore their critics and extra-government advice.
Absolute power corrupts absolutely. They will continue to abuse power and greedily enrich themselves while the masses suffer because they (the masses) think they are the best option – the lesser of two evils. This is very unhealthy since governments need to be changed every term or two.
The only way this can change is if the major opposition parties unite and campaign together. They can probably amalgamate after the elections, but their chances of winning, I think, are better in being proactive rather than reactive. They will garner votes of various races with a show of inter-racial leadership, an appealing manifesto and increased voter turnout.
For the sake of strategy, and in the interest of developing Guyana, and to avoid post election violence, they should bury their pride and differences, humbly reconcile and run a united race.
They are competent enough to come to a consensus on shared leadership. To do otherwise will be self-defeating and idealistic rather than realistic. Remember what happened in Trinidad. Also, remember it was only by coalition (by the PNC and UF) that the PPP was ousted in 1964 and that is the only way Government will change in Guyana this year.
Karan Chand

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