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Demographic and political changes make street politics viable for the PNC again
Dear Editor,
Freddie Kissoon’s article titled “The problem with street politics is a deadly one” (KN, December 6, 2013), is correct on the racial spin PNC urban street protest is given in PPP stronghold Indian rural communities and how that fear-fanning electorally profits the PPP. However, I believe Kissoon’s conclusion that the PNC should stay off the streets is somewhat flawed. This version of the PPP cannot win a majority again. The PPP is stuck in minority government mode because of a declining Indian population. So, the PNC can return to the streets with peaceful protests and not lose ground electorally. If one gauges the mood electorally and the polls, neither the massive Linden protests nor the violent Agricola protests, both of which were propagandized in Indian communities with the typical ethno-racial slant, yielded any increase in support for the PPP because the PPP is facing the hard cold numbers of demographic truth as well as a rising tide of protest within those same Indian communities, of which the sugar belt is a prime example. The PPP is still able to agitate Indians on the topic of PNC street protests but it will not produce the electoral outcomes that really matter; majority government. Thus, the PNC has the ability to return to the streets in peaceful fashion on issues that really matter and hold great political value such as peaceful protests for local government elections and the PPP is politically incapable of rendering that into electoral domination.
While peaceful protest is still available as an avenue of political action for the PNC, the problem for the PNC is that protests sanctioned by the PNC tend to get out of hand with the PNC itself often incapable of controlling some of those who protest on its behalf and for its causes. While the PNC does not have to fear a PPP electoral majority in response to its protests going awry and it being blamed for the ensuing violence or destruction of property by some elements driven by their own agendas, the PNC faces an even bigger problem of this madness turning away crucial swing voters (Amerindians and Mixed Race) who might be willing to give the PNC some votes because of their disgust with the PPP. The PNC, PPP and AFC know that the path to power or majority power lies in the inked fingers of this powerful voting bloc of swing voters. If the PNC is to embark on protests that get out of hand, conjuring images of slo-fyah mo-fyah in this new landscape, it will repel those vital swing voters away. I suspect the PNC leadership has already made this calculation and rather than risk a good protest based on a powerful issue such as local government elections or old age pension increases being derailed by reactionary and senseless elements, they prefer to use the newfound opposition power in Parliament (with the AFC) to try to achieve these same results. It has worked so far, obviating the need for street protests. There will come a time when street protests will be necessary but the parliamentary power used properly is the preferred and better weapon for now.
M. Maxwell
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