Strategy Considerations for AFC and the PPP/C

Jan 08, 2019 Letters

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Dear Editor,

I was going to hold my peace on these two matters but decided to voice my views since we are gearing up for Elections and when things do not go right at the political level, they affect the entire country.
With reference to the theme for the Alliance For Change campaign for the last Local Government Elections – ‘Fit and Proppa’, I would like to look at it from the perspective of campaigning, a key part of which is perception.
The AFC was destined to lose some potential voters and support by simply having the theme ‘Fit and Proppa’. One of the reasons is that a theme is like what some professionals call the ‘sizzle’ in the ‘speech’. The sizzle in one of Martin Luther King’s speech was ‘I have a dream’. That was and still is one of the most powerful aspects of that speech. It is the sentence that the mind keeps remembering all the time.
President Barack Obama’s theme for his 2008 campaign was, ‘Hope’ and ‘Change’; it was very powerful and relevant to what the electorate desired at that time. The meaning associated with the theme ‘fit and proppa’, for many Guyanese, is associated with President Granger’s position on the selection of the Chairman for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM).
The selection of the Chairman, eventually created quite a situation, particularly for supporters of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), some of the very supporters which the AFC was hoping to attract as voters; hence, the need to have been strategic.
I would not be surprised if some dismiss this as a small point, but your entire campaign is built around the theme. I do hope that the AFC will get a ‘fit and proppa’ theme for their campaign for the upcoming elections.
With regard to the PPP/C and the process for the selection of the presidential candidate, I wish to make a few observations and comments. Some may be tempted to say that this is PPP/C internal business; but PPP business is also my/our business and so is PNC, APNU, WPA and AFC’s business.
My comments are based on what I read in the media on the proposed PPP/C presidential candidates– Dr. Vindhya Persaud, Irfaan Ali, Anil Nandlall, Dr. Frank Anthony and Gail Teixeira. I am disappointed that Charles Ramson Jr. is not included in this list.
Let’s go behind the scenes to understand the cultural and other factors that influence the leadership, politics and governance in Guyana. The leadership of Guyana is still very much ‘Large-Power-Distance’ while the citizenry is moving more towards ‘Small-Power-Distance’. ‘Large-Power-Distance’, simply means that the distance between the leadership and the followership or subordinates is large or wide; essentially, power is more centralized.
‘Small-Power-Distance’ on the other hand, means that the distance between the leadership and the followership or subordinates, is smaller or more decentralized.
As one examines the process for the selection of the presidential candidate for the PPP/C, one concludes that the party is very much ‘Large-Power-Distance’; power is centralized among a few.
The distance between the leadership and the followership is wide. Some may want to argue that this analysis is inaccurate; PPP/C is a grassroots party. I am not disputing that fact. However, when it comes to real power, this lies with the Central Executive Committee, which consists of 35 members.
Another factor which points to the PPP/C being ‘Large-Power-Distance’, is that in these types of countries, key appointments are made based on ‘social trust’, and less on expertise, experience and professionalism.
All five of the proposed candidates, while they are qualified and experienced, social trust is a critical factor for their selection. Ramson Jr. on the other hand, has not ‘yet’ gained the ‘social trust’ of many of the selectors.
However, while I have no issues with the five persons identified, I like Charles Ramson Jr. I have only met him personally once but what is important for me is a presidential candidate from the PPP/C who will put country above party politics; and of the six persons that is, including Ramson.
For me when the rubber hits the road, Ramson is most likely to put country before party politics. It means that the rest have some work to do to change perceptions in this area.
Is Ramson an experienced leader? No, but he can learn. Does he have the diplomacy and savviness presidential leadership requires? No, but he can learn. He is bright, young, willing to take the risks, gets his hands dirty, challenges, and does the hard work to establish himself as a good leader; hence I would like to see him in the mix.
Here is where the Opposition leader is missing a fundamental point. Having a presidential candidate that is among the trusted few is smart, and I totally understand but is it the right thing to do? While any presidential candidate may win the majority for the PPP/C; the last November Local Government Elections, saw 36.3% of registered electors turning out to vote; the electorate was sending a loud message.
Assuming that the PPP/C should win, is the Opposition content to win with 36.3% of the voting population casting their votes to determine who should represent them in Government, I think that the Opposition ought not to be satisfied with this.
This is 2019! What the Opposition should aspire to achieve through its leadership selection process, is not just a mere win, and then what?
Finally, I am still advocating for a ‘One Party’ government, inclusive of APNU, AFC, PPP/C + ANUG, for at least five years – one term. The main objectives must be to ‘fix’ Guyana; by focusing on constitutional reform; developing a robust economic and development policy; and mobilizing the citizenry around achieving the goals and objectives in that policy.
The economic and development policy should be centered on six pillars – The Green Economy, Blue economy, Service Economy, Agrarian Society or Agricultural Economy, Oil and Gas Economy and Natural Resources Economy.
I strongly believe that it is insane for us to go back to the polls and vote the same way we have been voting for 53 + years and expect different results.

Yours faithfully,
Audreyanna Thomas

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