There must be room for a third choice or a third voice

Feb 15, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

Once we Guyanese have turned our hostile, tense society for a more accommodating culture, particularly during the ‘silly seasons’, there will be room for more give and take politics, more room for cordial exchanges.
Because of the tension, it is already advised that it would be better for politicians to tone down their rhetoric. That is quite in order.
So let us look for example saying a third choice party, or a third Voice party, instead of saying ‘our choice is a Third Force party’.
That being said, there is this question of accommodative politics, too, which must be demonstrated, not only in theory, but in practice.
There has been a perceived attempt to quiet, or to discommode, as it were, leading up to this year’s elections which will not add one iota to the popularity of the mainstream politicians, or political parties. The bigger brothers’ strategy of condescension, or avoidance of the small parties as a motive to win support will never aid to the former’s cause. It is like adding salt or vinegar to a wound.
Once some party or politician sense there is some measure of threat, especially that which is coming from the new and smaller parties, the combative mode kicks in and that is quite natural. But some level of maturity should accompany combative and competitive politics, which is sadly lacking in Guyana.
So far we could be doing well, to a certain degree, but in a democratic Guyana would not Guyanese, as a whole, love to have better coverage of news of not only the major parties, but a wider coverage that will include that of ‘smaller’ parties?
Are we afraid that if these so called ‘smaller’ parties are given coverage this could eventuate in a wider range of representation at the level of Parliament? Guyanese by their ballot, since 2011, have given an ominous sign that the dominance of two political parties is not a recipe for a healthy growth and prosperity in Guyana.
When there is such a boast of inclusivity, one would hope that for a better future for all of us, there must be room to encourage, accommodate, resonate with, at the parliamentary level, a third choice or a third voice. Sorry, but not a third ‘force’.

Yours truly,
Joseph C. Atkinson

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