African population in 1974- 31 percent; in 2020 – 29 percent

Jul 19, 2020 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

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In December 1974, Prime Minister Forbes Burnham, addressed a special congress of his party, at the party’s head office at Sophia. His speech was compiled in booklet form and given the title, the “Declaration of Sophia”.
The most important words in that delivery by Burnham were as follows; “It was also decided that the Party should assume unapologetically its paramountcy over the government which is merely one of its executive arms. The comrades demanded that the country be given practical and theoretical leadership at all levels – political, economic, social, and cultural – by the PNC which had become the major nation institution”. (quoted in “To Survive Sensibly or to Court Heroic Death: Management of Guyana’s Political Economy” by Tyron Ferguson, page 157).
In 1970, the African population stood at 31.2 percent, the Indians at 51.8 percent and in 1980, Africans were 30.5 percent while Indians were 51.4 percent (taken from “Guyana: From State Control to Free Markets by John Gafar, page 30). Any mature human in Guyana knows that historically and up to the present time, the PNC has the support of almost a majority of Africans and the same for the PPP with East Indians.
The PNC rigged the 1968 election and every national poll since then until 1992. In 1992, the African population was 35.6 percent and the Indian 49.5 percent (source; “Structural Adjustment and Good Governance: The Case of Guyana,” by Tyron Ferguson, page 19). What could be seen clearly here was that the party that held African support was never a majority party.
In 1973 during protest against rigging of the election in that year, two PPP protestors – 17 year old Jagan Ramessar and 43 year old, Jack Bhola Nauth, a father of five – were shot by soldiers as they protested a military contingent taking the ballot boxes into an army truck. One year after failing to win the 1973 election, Burnham declared that his minority party was an organ that was of higher legal standing than every other state institution. The PNC flag flew over the Court of Appeal building.
The paramountcy of the party doctrine became one of the most immoral and corrupt acts of politics in the history of colonial and post-colonial West Indies. A party that garnered its support from 30 percent of the population and whose strength was never tested in a free national poll ruled Guyana for 24 years.
In 2020, we are seeing attempts to re-enact permanent minority government in this land. Life is one intrigue after another. Present at the PNC congress at Sophia in 1974 when Burnham declared paramouncy of the party was one of the leaders of the PNC’s youth arm, Vincent Alexander. Also, in attendance was the leadership of the police and army as was required. David Granger was in attendance.
Forty- six years after a party that speaks for a minority community in the Guyanese population, it is indeed phenomenal that two persons – Alexander and Granger – who witnessed Burnham’s declaration that his party was the most powerful organ with legal authority over any other national institution, are involved in foisting that same minority status on Guyana. African Guyanese constitute in 2020 a percentage of 29, while Indians are at 40.
If the fraud perpetrated by Mingo and Lowenfield succeeds then we would have returned to permanent minority rule as it started in 1968 and lasted for 24 years. Once it happens in 2020, there is no way the PNC will allow a clean, untainted poll in 2025, 2030 and onwards.
What David Hinds, Lincoln Lewis, Henry Jeffrey and the people who they propagandize for want is to have the permanent hold of power by a party that represents less than 29 percent of the population. One has to emphasize the word “less” because there is statistical evidence to show that not all African districts in Guyana voted for the PNC. The turnout in Georgetown in 2020 was not ecstatic. Plaisance did not have a large turnout.
This is what is so frightening about the current election house of horror. We are not talking about a party that has 49 percent and rigged to stay in power but less than 29 percent. A majority government does not mean and should not translate into domination. But totally unacceptable in the 21st century is a party with less than 29 percent of electoral strength ruling a country forever. Every human must be made to understand that if the PNC is allowed to remain in power after losing the election, there will never be a free and fair poll any longer in Guyana. 29 percent will rule over 71 percent forever.
(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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