Will voters move away from ethnic voting?

Feb 23, 2024 Letters

Dear Editor,

Dr. Henry Jeffrey (KN Feb 19) implored politicians not to appeal on an ideology of race for political support to win government and that they should seek ‘to democratize’ the electorate away from race. The advice is also applicable to Trinidad.

I endorse this advice. But will parties pay heed and is the advice practical in light of the 28 years of political discrimination experienced by Indians in Guyana and 30 years in Trinidad and the attempt to rig the 2015 Guyana elections and history of gerrymandering in Trinidad? Can Jeffrey convince or ‘democratize’ voters who ultimately decide on how they vote, i.e which party they prefer — and not to caste ballots for race based parties. It is noted that all multi racial parties, except in 1953, failed to win election in Guyana and except in 1986 in Trinidad. Both were unique exceptions to the political rule as voters were fed up of the status quo.

All appeals for no racial voting going back last sixty six years fell on deaf ears not only in Guyana but also in Trinidad, and Suriname. Ditto other ethnically divided states in Africa, Asia, and globally. In spite of what they claim or say, parties themselves are ethnically based. How will voters reject them when they are tied to the party of their race or tribe or ethnicity for security and economic survival (patronage)? The nature of the politics in Guyana or Trinidad is race although a party may not necessarily govern exclusively in the interests of its supporters.

Guyana became politically divided along racial lines in 1955 and race voting institutionalized in 1957 when elections were fought along lines with people voting for racialised parties. Ditto Trinidad in 1956 with racialized voting further institutionalized in 1958. It is over sixty six years and people still vote race. How can we break racialized voting and replace it with ‘a democratic issue centered’ voting?

Not only do people vote race, they reject minor race parties that they feel will ‘split’ the vote. There may be several parties competing to represent a race as has been the case in both Guyana and Trinidad, but the voters rarely split their vote. They consistently voted for only one race based party.

The members of both major races in Guyana and Trinidad believed they acted rationally when they voted for a single party to maximize its opportunity to win government. It would be recalled that Balram Singh Rai failed to win a seat for his Indian based Justice Party. Ditto Hosein Ghanie for Guyana United Muslim Party. The URP, NRP, DLM, ROAR, and WPA in Guyana and Team Unity, MUP, ACDC, ONR, in Trinidad, among others, struggled to gain traction even from their ethnic base. Ethnic voters didn’t split their base except in rare cases — in 2006 when AFC captured Africans who were disenchanted with Robert Corbin’s leadership of PNC and in 2011 and 2015 when Indians abandoned the PPP. Likewise, Indians shunned UNC in 2001, 2002, and 2015 because of their neglect leading to its defeat.

Although BS Rai appealed to Indians in 1964 to give him seats to empower them to bargain for key Ministries, they blanked him and voted PPP. Although WPA appealed to Africans to support it, they stuck with PNC even after 26 years of authoritarian rule and abuses. Similarly, Indians rejected Team Unity blanking its appeal to Indians in Trinidad to give it seats to represent their interests and to bargain for Ministries or even PM position. Had Indians given Justice Party seats, with BS Rai as Home Affairs Minister, would the country have suffered 28 years of authoritarian rule? Indians rebuffed Rai and paid a huge price. Had Indians given Team Unity seats with Ramesh Maharaj as Attorney General or Prime Minister, would there have been a huge increase in kidnappings and home invasions in Trinidad? Maharaj had significantly reduced crime when he was AG. He hanged murderers. Kidnapping and home invasions were non-existent. Indian rejected him, and he paid a hefty price.

Next year is general elections in both Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. Will voters move away from ethnic voting?

Yours truly,

Vishnu Bisram

Dr Henry Jeffrey, Ethnic, ideology, Vishnu Bisram, voting

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