As GECOM prepares for elections… NGO lends support to political leaders to combat race-based challenges

Feb 22, 2019 News

Even as the Guyana Elections Commission [GECOM] prepares for general and regional elections, calls are being made for the process to be done in a tranquil as possible environment.
With a view to helping political parties to achieve this goal by bridging the ethnic divide during pre-elections periods, a Non-Governmental Organisation [NGO] – Heal Guyana – is currently reaching out to key political leaders.
According to founder of the NGO, Ms. Sharon Lalljee-Richard, it is imperative that all Guyanese, especially political activists from all parties understand that it is never helpful to descend into racial stereotyping and race-hate of any kind.
Moreover, in keeping with the NGO’s ongoing drive to promote peace and unity in Guyana regardless of political preferences among all citizens, Heal Guyana has targeted politicians who have been historically plagued with racially rooted challenges.
“This old way of thinking leads to the misguided assumption that if one resorts to race as a means of earning political points, that sort of behaviour achieves the desired outcome, in favour of the party one supports,” said Lalljee-Richard.
“In reality, what actually occurs is that potential voters who party leaders hope to persuade to support their policies and leadership, get turned off by the use of hate and division. The entire political party gets branded in an unfavourable way which results in lost votes among a wide cross-section of Guyanese.”

Sharon Lalljee-Richard, Founder of Heal Guyana.

She further theorized that “race-baiting is the most dated and unproductive public relations strategy to use as a means of influencing voters in today’s world. This is apart from the immoral and socially destructive considerations surrounding the behaviour.”
According to Lalljee-Richard, local statistics show that the majority of voters are now young people and young people in this country are smart, because they have access to real information which educates them on how to reason, constructively.
“You will not find them advocating or buying into negativity that promotes the racial divide. They are looking for sensible solutions that remedy the real issues we face as Guyanese; and political parties must evolve in order to deliver that if they are to be respected by the new breed of Guyanese voters who expect results,” she continued.

According to Lalljee-Richard, although many leaders already are aware of this state of affairs, they have been faced with difficulties achieving the desired outcome on the ground.
Moreover, the non-partisan organization, which was established during December 2017, has extended an invitation to the leaders of the ruling A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change [APNU/AFC] and the Peoples Progressive Party/Civic [PPP/C] to collaborate with them. A move in this direction, Lalljee-Richard said, is intended to “achieve peace and unity during this very sensitive time in Guyana’s history.”
According to her, each leader will be asked to share their individual views and their party’s official position on where they stand and what sort of behaviour they expect of their followers, going forward into the election season and afterwards.
It is therefore her hope that “As we continue to work together as one people, one nation and one destiny we are determined to achieve a bright future for ourselves and country.”

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