Lessons to guide our politically and ethically charged environment

May 21, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,

As the recount of the votes progresses, it is becoming increasingly evident that the Region Four Declaration by Mr. Mingo is not matching those contained in the ballot boxes. This must be a matter of concern to all Guyanese more particularly the APNU-AFC which is now seeing a gradual and systemic erosion of its votes based on the flawed Region Four declaration.
This reality is not lost to President Granger who in a recent Radio interview acknowledged that the contest is extremely close even as he remained optimistic that the recount will re-affirm a ‘victory’ for the Coalition. President Granger appeared sober and at times conciliatory calling for matured and inclusive governance.
It is my opinion that President Granger is gradually coming to terms with the reality that the PPP/C has won the elections. His most recent pronouncements are sober and measured, an apparent attempt to manage expectations from his supporters who were led to believe that the APNU-AFC Coalition had won the elections and which is now unravelling before their very eyes with each passing day.
Interestingly, President Granger is now coming up with a narrative that the complex social structure of Guyana does not allow for any ‘landslide’ victory by any political party. This is generally true, and except for the rigged elections during the 1968-1885 period, no political party has attained power by way of a landslide. As an historian, President Granger is aware that the only landslide victory took place in the 1953 elections, the first under Universal Adult Suffrage which was won by the PPP with Cheddi Jagan as Party Leader and Forbes Burnham as Party Chairman.
I thought of highlighting these historical facts if only to make the point that it is possible to have political unity as happened during the early 1950s when the PPP was formed as a nationalist and multi-ethnic party with a working class orientation.
The lessons of that period are timely and relevant in our existing politically and ethically charged environment. This is one of the main challenges that the new government will have to address as soon as the recount is over and a new democratically elected government assumes office.

Hydar Ally

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