ACDA calls for shared system of governance

Apr 30, 2024 News

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– says winner-takes-all structure not good for Guyana

Kaieteur News – Guyana’s premier African representative organisation- the African Cultural & Development Association (ACDA) has reiterated its call for a shared system of governance in Guyana, saying that the current winner-takes-all framework is not good for the country.

A United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded Assessment on Democracy and Governance in Guyana back in 2021 recommended that the ruling party, the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the opposition coalition the A Partnership for National Unity and Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) need to find a way to form a functioning democracy based on power-sharing rather than a “winner takes all”
mentality. This would ensure that the unprecedented wealth in oil reserves can be transparently and equitably managed for the benefit of all Guyanese, the USAID said. Since then Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo who is also leader of the PPP said, shared governance at the executive level would only happen if Guyanese call for it during the planned constitutional reform process. He said too that PPP/C cannot trust the opposition on supporting its developmental policies.

Meanwhile, in its statement issued on Monday, ACDA said Guyana’s governance system was molded during the colonial period, heavily influenced by the geopolitical imperatives of British and American interests. The organisation said while it functioned in “uniting us as a nation, it has fallen short of fostering an environment capable of effectively addressing our longstanding challenges. ACDA firmly believes that Guyana’s economic, political, and social predicaments cannot be adequately tackled under the existing “winner-takes-all” political framework, a reality that has persisted for the past 60 years.”

According to ACDA since 1994, it has persistently advocated for a shift in the country’s governance structure towards one of Executive Power Sharing. “Our efforts yielded a significant milestone when former President Hugh Desmond Hoyte, as the opposition leader, pledged his party (PNC/R) to embrace a new model of governance during his address to the party Congress and the nation in 2002. He articulated, “The time has come for an adjusted system of governance,” irrespective of the nomenclature, be it “power-sharing,” “shared governance,” or any other title.”

“Recognising the significance of being at the governance table, ACDA emphasises that the interests of the African Guyanese community can only be adequately represented through inclusive governance. Notably, the recent stance of the US government and US AID affirming the necessity of a shared or inclusive governance system for Guyana resonates deeply with our objectives. We view this shift in US policy as prudent counsel stemming from a nation that played a pivotal role in shaping our current governance system.” The organization said with Guyana’s transition into a petroleum state, the implementation of a new governance structure is now more critical than ever to ensure equitable distribution of our abundant resources among our people.

Additionally, ACDA said: “we are profoundly troubled by the ongoing exclusion of the African Guyanese community from meaningful political participation, leaving us vulnerable to political, economic, and social marginalization. We firmly assert that after 250 years of contributing our labour to build this nation without being paid a cent , it is unacceptable for us to continue being marginalized from the governance of our own country. This perpetuation of exclusion stands as a gross violation of historical justice and our collective human rights—a principle we refuse to negotiate on. For these reasons, we reiterate our longstanding position that Executive Power Sharing represents the most suitable governmental system for our nation. We adamantly reject the winner-takes-all approach, perceiving its persistence as a modern-day form of enslavement. ACDA firmly stands by the principle that those subject to governance must actively participate in shaping the system under which they are governed.”

At a news conference last year Jagdeo was asked about inclusive governance during which he responded that the opposition cannot be trusted. “I suspect that this new form of inclusive governance that they’re talking about only has one end, and that is executive power sharing. But our point was if you can’t share a common set of values, if you believe in stealing elections and we don’t, we can’t get along. If you don’t share economic values and our social values or patriotism… or if you’re a racist, then you can’t work with us on this. You will have to share common values for that to work or else you bring the same gridlock that we have in the parliament now into the cabinet, and nothing happens. We’ve seen it. It has stymied many countries.  You have to build up a period of building trust, and only then that [inclusive governance] can happen,” Jagdeo stated back then according to Stabroek News report.

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• good, governance, Guyana, National, United States Agency for International Development (USAID), winner

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