REACHING OVER AND CROSSING OVER

Oct 19, 2011 Features / Columnists, Peeping Tom

A wish is being granted. The outgoing representative of the European Union to Guyana recently called on this country to reach across the political divide. Some of our politicians and citizens are doing more than just reaching across the political divide. They are crossing over to the other side.
The PPP has secured some former members of the PNCR and the AFC has secured members of the PNCR and the PPP. This process is likely to continue in the weeks ahead, but more so for the ruling party, which is expected to benefit from a series of defections from the other parties, as it seems well on its way to a victory in the polls.
In liberal democracies such as the United States of America it is not unusual for politicians to switch their allegiances. Thus, we can have someone starting out as a Democrat and then later seeing an opportunity for elevation switching to the Republican Party, only to later in life switching back to the Republican Party. The list is long within the United States of those individuals who have switched parties.
It is therefore not unexpected that someone who has grown up within the liberal political system as exists in the United States of America, to manoeuvre his or her way around the various political groupings, and in Guyana there is a notable example of this happening. That person has opted to go where he feels comfortable and can make a contribution. So far the PPP has eluded that person but if he does end up in the PPP it will not be something unexpected because the one thing that is certain about politics is that nothing is certain.
What exists, however, in the liberal north does not always find easy accommodation in Guyana. The die-hard supporters of political parties in Guyana are unforgiving to persons who cross the political divide.
A PNC member leaves his party and joins the PPP and that person faces an onslaught of criticism. His name is dragged into the ground and he is described in all manner of derogatory ways. Quite unfortunate.
A PPP person leaves his party and the same thing happens. The individual is described as a traitor and a sell-out.
The political lines are clearly demarcated in Guyana and anyone who dares cross those lines is met with serious ostracism and ridicule. This is the nature of Guyana politics. It is brutal.
If someone, without changing alliance, dares to say or do something that is interpreted as adding support for the government, that person is going to be greeted with a storm of criticism and accused of selling out.
The tragedy of it all is that the greatest abuse against those who opt to be more open to the opposing sides comes not from the political leadership so much as the ordinary rank and file supporters. This is what is sad; that it is ordinary supporters of the respective parties that get riled up when persons are seen as crossing the political floor.
Of course what the representative of the European Union had in mind when he called for politicians to reach across the political divide, was that there should be greater compromise and cooperation between the respective political camps. He was not at all suggesting political defections.
But in many ways, the political defections that are taking place today can serve a useful purpose because it does allow for the various political camps to benefit from persons who have sat on the other side or who have experiences of another political camp to bring their own perspectives and insights to a new political party. This can help to bring about change within the political parties.
It can also help to diversify the political parties and eventually lead to some changes in the composition, but this is not a process that is going to occur over the short-term.
An important start has been made, and as much as possible, persons should be encouraged to move to whichever political parties they feel comfortable with and can make a contribution.

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REACHING OVER AND CROSSING OVER

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