Big news in Guyana

Jun 16, 2020 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,

These 2020 elections are big news in Guyana and the Caribbean. Justifiably so!
But the battle cries around it, has drowned out another momentous opportunity for this nation to reconcile and repair; heal and rebuild. This nation continues to not learn its important lessons because opportunistic politicians are only interested in their personal pockets and their mansions and their pensions. It was former PPP/C Parliamentarian Dharamkumar Seeraj who once upon a time coined a phrase and I quote “it is the mansions and the pensions that cost you the elections” that referred to a previous elections loss by another political party. When one reflects on Mr. Seeraj’s message from that era, it is still apt and totally relevant today. This is exactly what has happened to Team Granger today – it is the mansions and the pensions that cost them the elections.
The simplest way to understand this loss by David Granger is to look at one fact – for every vote gained by Team Granger in 2020, the combined opposition gained 3.5 new votes. So while the APNU-AFC saw its vote improved by 10,720 valid votes between 2015 and 2020 in these, the mother of all elections, the combined opposition saw their lot increasing by 37,620 new valid votes, where 82% of this increase went to the PPP/C.
I have never seen such a well-organized machinery as I observe in 2020 especially in the PPP/C camp. Everyone knew what he or she had to do in the PPP/C. They individually and collectively organize, mobilize and operationalize the people at the individual and at the village level before E-Day, on E-Day, and after E-Day and all the work was distributed on a merit basis rather than favouritism. I saw a case where a long time “chatree” and his team were replaced in short order with a fresh new team of highly skilled technicians in the tabulation process, so much so that this team used the latest technology to expose and depose the MINGO FRAUD instantaneously. It was communication and strategic formulation at its best, driven by the principles of merit and competence, almost like the Singaporean model.
There are several reasons for Mr. Granger losing these 2020 elections. One was that Mr. David Arthur Granger was out of touch with the most important constituents in this country – the under 35-year-old, that represents some 65% of the voting population. He was a stranger to them and he became an even more aloof and distant figure to them because of his inability to hold regular press briefings.
What this nation saw when Mr. Granger did rarely show himself to the nation, was an old, washed-out, uncharismatic deadwood who was uninspiring and lacked innovative ideas to confront the major anxieties of the people. His principle opponent Dr. Irfaan Ali, was more energetic, lively and has a track record of measurable successes in the Housing and Tourism Sectors and clearly was in tune with the menu of measures needed to bring new jobs and new opportunities to these key constituent – the under 35-year-old.
But, more than personality paved Dr. Ali’s victory. It had to do with five strategic decisions at the party level that were crafted by the indomitable political Tsar of Guyana, Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo. The entire PPP/C elections strategy was driven by a mantra – “get back to the people”. Dr. Ali was sent immediately after the Vote of No Confidence, to visit every single Amerindian Community in this country and he did visit most if not all of them. On the other hand many communities of Guyana have never seen Mr. Granger in person, he was an illusion. Dr. Jagdeo in his cleverness realized that these elections will be won by that all-important Amerindian vote. In a nation of minorities where Indo-Guyanese are 39%, Afro-Guyanese are 29%, Mixed Guyanese are 21% and Amerindians are 11%, the realization that the team that wins the most of that 11%, will win the elections. It paid off and the PPPC handsomely won the Amerindian community so much so, that even in the supposedly PNC stronghold of Cuyuni-Bartica-Mazuruni (District 7), the PPP/C chopped the PNC lead in that Region from 21% in 2015 to 11% in 2020. I am convinced in my conviction that the PPP/C has a strong chance of winning the plurality in Region 7 in 2025.
Secondly, Dr. Ali and Dr. Jagdeo transformed the 2020 campaign into a referendum on Granger; they kept it simple. It was about the economic welfare of the people. Unfortunately, Mr. Granger was unable to defend his record since he had so few instances of economic success. Rather his tenure was overwhelmed by consistent spates of executive laziness, massive acts of corruption and graft conducted by his underlings and a level of policy paralysis and executive indecision that mirrors the tenure of Erich Honecker, the communist leader of East Germany who was sick more than he was healthy, most of the time.
Thirdly, the entire PPP/C machinery was reintegrated back into the base. At all levels, the PPP/C cadres, apologized to the base and organized them, mobilized them and operationalized them for E-Day activities so much so that to part-take as scrutineers in the 2,339 polling stations, the PPP/C had an oversubscription of over 9,000 persons willing and able to serve the party’s interest in those polling stations. Some 5,000 persons were fully trained to function for the party in the polling stations if there was a need.
Fourthly, Dr. Jagdeo purged his party of the deadwood from yesterday who led the failed 2015 campaign. People like the Donald Ramotars and Hydar Allys and Clement Rohee’s were banished from the front lines of the 2020 campaign and replaced by fresh new faces like Sonia Rodriques and Hugh Todd and Thandica Smith. He surrounded himself with people who got the job done rather than party ideologues wedded to a communist ideology that was yesterday’s news. Rather he made a major push into Washington DC using the Mercury lobbyist company, so much so, that he is now on speed dial to big names like Senator Marco Rubio who in turn, is on speed dial to Donald Trump. Jagdeo has achieved the impossible, he has reinvented the PPP/C as a pro-business, pro-western political force that is committed to the ideology of democracy in an infrastructure that is pro-business and pro-America. Our people love this American connection.
So under a Dr. Ali Government, Exxon is welcomed and every other business house is now welcomed in Guyana, once they follow the rule of law. The .PPP/C new mantra is new opportunities, with a new beginning in a new Guyana.
Lastly, Dr. Ali, Dr. Jagdeo and Mohabir Anil Nandlal, took the fight directly to the front steps of the PNC and baffled them. Mr. Granger could have sworn himself into immediately office using the Volda Lawrence declaration at that time both Lowefield and Claudette were game, but he flinched. He flinched because Jagdeo out-thought him and outplayed him from day one on this campaign. He was worried about what the Americans will do.
So Mr. Granger is stuck in a rut. The recount process has now confirmed that he lost and thus he is clean bowled. He is yesterday’s man with yesterday’s ideas and he has only one choice now – trod on brother; trod on! Retirement beckons!

Regards,
Lisa Ally

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