PNC & other parties should encourage intra-party democracy

Jun 14, 2024 Letters

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Dear Editor,

The PNC will hold its Congress at the end of the month to choose a leader and executives. In travelling throughout Guyana conversing with the public, virtually no one expressed confidence in the process to select delegates, nominations, and voting. Since the leader and executive will play a most important role in next year’s general elections, which opinion polls put the PPP ahead, it is critical that the entire process relating to the Congress be beyond reproach. A free and fair electoral process, one that wins the confidence of the public, will serve as a catalyst to bring forces together. Lacking democracy, PNC will remain in opposition for another five years and perhaps longer.

Since the emergence of political parties, they became and remain essential institutions for the proper functioning of a democratic society.  Their absence in any country leads to one party dominance and authoritarian rule as witnessed in communist countries. Multiple parties are critical for democratic functioning of a society. But even when many parties exist, a country can still experience authoritarian rule (or autocracy – strong man politics) as experienced throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. There have existed, including in Guyana, top-down organisational structure (not bottom up where people are invested with the power and hold leaders accountable) where power and decision making are highly centralized – leader dominance. Those who question or critique party leadership face sanctions (called all kinds of names) including expulsion from the party. Guyana is not immune to strong personality politics, breeding patrimonialism (matrimonialism) and even fraud when choosing the executive of a party as experienced repeatedly in Guyana going back to the 1960s.

One person dominance in Guyana and around the region can be avoided if a party functions democratically, meaning having intra-party democracy (as exist in USA, UK, among others) allowing similar practices that one expects nationally in a democratic society, permitting freedom to critique the leader and the executive, challenging officers for party positions, and participating in all aspects of the party. Intra-party democracy (especially voting for leadership and executive) is a key element of participatory democracy and is necessary for the development of a democratic culture in any society. Democracy is institutionalized in parties in developed countries like USA, UK, etc. If a party lacks intra-party democracy, such as lack of credible elections, the leader and executive will be rebuffed; they will become the butt of jokes.  And in all likelihood, the leader or executive will not subscribe to democratic norms if successful in winning government as exemplified in several countries in Asia, Africa and former communist nations of Europe.

Democracy in a party should be the gold standard, the yardstick for national democracy. If a party does not allow intra-party democracy and violates the principle of free and fair election, then it should not expect democracy (free and fair elections) nationally. Democracy cannot be restricted to national participation and not in the ways parties tend to function. Parties are not exempted from a democratic culture and practices (free and fair elections and participation in all processes, activities, organs and its overall functioning). All political parties must incorporate democratic ideals in their functioning.

Intra-party democracy is great for its effectiveness — increase participation, end stagnation, help the party to regain legitimacy especially given what happened in 2020, improve internal functioning, and enhance electability. The PNC and indeed all parties should have an independent election commission charged with overseeing and administering democratic internal party Congress. Questions and commentaries (supported by solid evidence) should not swirl as happened in Congresses post Desmond Hoyte. Fraud will undermine the leader and the party. Worse, it will mash up the party, leading to permanent factionalism and even splits that result in formation of new parties. Disaffection will grow and the party will lose members and supporters.

Intra-party democratic election is a desirable ideal for PNC and by extension other parties as it leads to party effectiveness, electoral success and strengthening of democratic culture. If there is integrity in the process, voters will have faith in that party. When the PNC concludes its elections on June 29, it must be beyond reproach.

Yours sincerely,

Vishnu Bisram

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• Democracy, executives, Guyana, PPP, Vishnu Bisram

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