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Presidential Nomination in USA and Guyana

Jan 23, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

Guyanese at home and in the diaspora (based in USA) are taken up with elections in both societies. The elections in both countries are different – Guyana holds elections on March 2 to elect a President, a national parliament, and ten regional councils, whereas the US has elections to choose (nominate) a Presidential candidate for a party in the general elections in November.
The Presidential candidates of the parties have already been selected in Guyana without membership input. It is interesting to note a major difference in the selection (nomination) of a Presidential candidate of a party in the US and in Guyana.
In the US, which Guyanese politicians like to describe as the premier imperialist country, democratic elections are held to nominate a Presidential candidate – all members of a party have the ballot and the overall winner in the elections (in fifty states plus four territories) becomes the nominee.
In Guyana, which politicians like to describe as a democratic country, members of a party have virtually no rights. Clearly, one can determine which country is really democratic. Members of a party in Guyana don’t have the vote in nominating a candidate of a party. The members may be allowed to select delegates who are under the control of the party leaders. The delegates have limited independence in selecting the nominee once they showed up to vote on candidate selection. In the US, members have a secret ballot.
In Guyana, often a few folks in the party get together and choose the Presidential nominee without the approval or support of members of the party. The process is rigged. While it may appear that delegates or the few in the leadership have a democratic voice with a vote within a party to select a nominee, in reality, the process is a farce.
Delegates or the selected few who participate in the process are often instructed how to vote or threatened how to vote. If they don’t carry out the instructions, they may be victimized. Yet the very same Guyanese politicians and even their supporters and members of the party tend to condemn the white man’s system of democracy.
Which system is better? Every Guyanese-Americans support the US system of choosing a nominee. They want the same for Guyana. Will the politicians in Guyana listen or are they afraid of empowering the people?
The white man in America allows Guyanese to vote in party elections, but the politicians in Guyana don’t give their supporters the right to vote in party elections. The white man gives absolute freedom – vote for whoever you want as Presidential candidate; you will not be punished. The white man also does not rig elections. Yet the Guyanese politicians have the gall to call the white man imperialist, exploiter, and racist. Have Guyanese politicians looked at themselves? Empower the voters!
Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram

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