Guyana must revert back to the constituency system in voting

Aug 19, 2017 Letters

Dear Editor,
There is broad national consensus that the existing mode of adversarial party politics had, over the decades, been largely responsible for the failure to realize our true developmental potential. Race and ethnicity or what some described as ‘tribal’ politics have over the years resulted in a deformed body-politic in which policies and programmes are often subordinated to perceptions of which from the two main political parties, namely the PPP or the PNC can best represent the interests and hopes of entrenched ethnic blocs.
Situations like these are not peculiar to Guyana but manifest itself in several other parts of the world where there exist significant minorities such as Trinidad and Tobago, Suriname and further afield in Fiji. In countries such as these, there is a tendency to see race as major determinants of political outcomes. The intensity of the struggles intensifies in proportion to the perceived racial configuration of the competing parties particularly in the context of a “winner takes it all” governance model as is currently the case in Guyana.
What is needed in Guyana is a governance mechanism in which there is greater accountability by the elected representatives to their constituencies and not, as currently the case, to those whom they owe party allegiance. What I am suggesting is a return to constituency politics in which elected members of the legislative body are directly accountable to their respective constituencies and can be recalled if they fail to deliver on their manifesto promises.
The Carter Centre has come up with some interesting suggestions in terms of greater accountability in governance including the identification of presidential candidates and campaign financing. These are mere proposals and should be treated as such. But at the same time, they ought not to be dismissed as they provide some useful food for thought on the way forward.
This is why it is so important for the constitutional reform process to be given new and fresh stimulus as we approach the 2020 elections. I am in support of the recent call by the British High Commissioner for the constitutional reform process to be expedited and for it to be internally driven with inputs from all stakeholders.
It is time for a new type of governance calculus in order to deepen our democracy and render it more responsive to the needs and aspirations of the Guyanese people. The existing model is dysfunctional and fails to address the core issues of ethnic insecurity and political alienation which had characterized our politics over the past decades.
Hydar Ally

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