How different in political culture are PPP, APNU and AFC?

Nov 24, 2015 Letters

Dear Editor,
The announced intent of the APNU+AFC and PPP that they are going to be participating in the Local Government Elections (LGE) is an indication that the national politicians have an interest in determining and occupying every political space, stifling the free-spiritedness and local camaraderie of the people.
There is a culture that pervades this society where we have experienced when persons of any political party express an alternative opinion to their leaders in Georgetown they are being attacked, demonised and marginalised. There must be growth in our politics, which include respecting the right to dissent or hold alternative views to that of the establishment. For such actions are healthy for germination of ideas, which can lead to growth and development of the nation’s body politics.
In the 1994 LGE, Desmond Hoyte took a decision that the PNC would contest the municipalities and in the Neighbourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) citizens would form themselves into groups and participate with a view of managing their own affairs. Though a view is held that Hoyte’s decision was out of concern for losing at the NDCs, it was one of the most progressive steps in this nation in furtherance of realising the devolution of power to the people at the grassroots level. This was an act of deepening and strengthening the people’s right to self-determination. This nation must strive to build on it.
This nation has seen persons across political and racial divide in their neighbourhood sharing positive relations, irrespective of the party supported at the General and Regional Elections (GRE). The strengthening of this neighbourly relation will see efforts of further nurturing that would allow the people to identify and elect their leaders regardless of political persuasions that would have influenced their GRE votes.
LGE is about allowing the people to elect leaders from their communities to manage their affairs within their neighbourhood. It is not about the national leaders of Freedom House, the APNU headquarter, the AFC headquarter determining who in which neighbourhood must be on the list. We must build on 1994 and allow the communities the opportunity to heal and build a natural cohesiveness free of partisan party politics influences at the most basic, yet still vital, aspect of government.
There is legitimate concern given the statements coming from the national leaders is one of an act to control the communities and also determine for the communities who must be their candidates and representatives, which goes against the grain of the right to self-determination. This behaviour is synonymous to the appointment of Interim Management Committees (IMCs) by the PPP. The message being sent to the people is that national leaders are going to take their right away to determine who must be their local leaders.
This act of political parties running in the NDCs will not contribute to the devolution of power or shared governance consistent with the spirit and intent of the constitution. What it will surely do is ascribe more power and authority to central government and political headquarters than the constitution intended. It also represents a new form of political imposition and makes a mockery of respecting the tiers of government.
There are political parties who in some communities cannot muster three votes but in joining a coalition where they are recognised it creates opportunities for them to enter communities or be assigned seats on the pretext of political representation. This is not representation. It is the use of association to impose one’s will on the people and goes against the grain of democracy and what elections ought to be.
The political parties must not be participating in elections in the NDCs since their presence can polarise the atmosphere and lead to further loss of trust among the citizens in the political process. Opportunity presents itself for each party- be it PPP, PNC, AFC, WPA, GAP, JFAP, IP, etc- to mobilise and contest in each of the town. In doing so the votes they acquire will reflect the support they have among the populace.
Elections allow for gauging the will of the people in terms of who they want to represent them. This basic tenet must not be lost sight of or sacrificed for any individual or group benefit. Local government gives the communities the opportunity to identify and elect their leaders and it must be respected. The society must agitate for and accept no less.
Lincoln Lewis

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How different in political culture are PPP, APNU and AFC?

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