PPP/C's scorched earth political strategy

PPP/C’s scorched earth political strategy

Jun 26, 2019 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

The PPP/C’s recent record in, and attitude to, elections in Guyana is particularly instructive. During the last two general and regional elections (2011 & 2015), in which they were the incumbent party, they failed to achieve a majority of the total votes cast in the elections as well as seats allocated in the National Assembly.
The power of the PPP/C had been at its height following the General and Regional Elections of 2006 in which it won 36 of the 65 seats in the National Assembly with 54.6% of the total votes cast. Since then the former ruling party has been in stunning decline registering minus four (-4) seat growth in the National Assembly over the period 2006-2015 while the PNC/R and its allies, since they began practicing partnership and coalition politics, catapulted to a plus five (+5) seat growth over the same period. Since their defeat in 2015 the PPP/C has adopted a scorched earth political strategy by undertaking the following actions, and more:
1. challenged the validity of the election results and protested the legality and legitimacy of the government;
2. demanded changes to the electoral process, including installation of electronic voting machines, and their implementation before the next elections;
3. hounded the previous Chairman of GECOM out of office;
4. nominated a series of persons for selection as GECOM Chairman;
5. engineered the defeat of the APNU+AFC government through dubious ethical and constitutional methods;
6. resistance to house-to-house registration and insistence on the use of the Voter Registration List that has expired, and is, very likely, contaminated and flawed;
7. frustrated the work of GECOM by boycotting and walking out of Commission meetings and refusing to participate in parliamentary sessions to vote funding for the preparation and conduct of elections by GECOM;
8. demanded the holding of elections at an earlier date than when GECOM has indicated that it would be ready;
9. alleged plans by the current administration to rig the elections;
10. demanded the resignation of the government and/or limitations on its operations (not sanctioned by the constitution); and
11. invited international censure, coercion and sanction to enforce non-constitutional and partisan prescriptions aimed at destabilising the state.
These actions indicate an unwavering dedication to a singular purpose – that of regaining political power in Guyana at the earliest opportunity by any means necessary.
Elections will soon be upon us and the PPP/C has already begun its election campaign. I predict that, notwithstanding its determined and well-coordinated strategy, and considerable resources at its disposal, the PPP/C would be unable to stop its inexorable decline and will suffer a massive electoral defeat in a transparently free and fair election.
Sincerely,
Oscar Dolphin

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