The Afro-Guyanese dilemma; a case for Executive power-sharing

Jul 04, 2024 Letters

---

Dear Editor,

I deliberately withheld this intervention until the PNC/R had concluded its Biennial Congress. That party is the unquestionable electoral representative of the African masses, as the PPP/C is for the Indian masses. They have shaped and will continue to shape the nation’s politics for some time.

Given decades of involvement in national politics, I earned the right to engage my countrymen and women on important national issues even if doing so caused discomfort in certain circles. All our political parties will agree that now Guyana has become a Petro-state and is rated as one of the richest countries in the world per capita/population, we are in a new reality politically and economically. The country’s rulers have more money at their disposal both at home and abroad than any rulers from slavery to the present. What we do going forward will define the true character of Guyanese.

Where matters have become extremely worrying is our political parties and their leaderships seem not to have learned the lessons of our history as it relates to politics, elections, and governance. They are prepared to take the nation in yet another winner-take-all election with its inherent winners and losers. And they are aware, of the known implications for race relations, politics, class, economics, and social cohesion in the nation. Our leaders are willing to take the reckless risk of continuing the failed governance system that has the country divided and vulnerable.

Having said the above, the main concern of this letter is directed to the African Community and its political, cultural, religious, social, trade unions, and sports leadership. We, Africans are at “one” on our conditions and the intent of the PPP’s racial/political domination. In every area of national life, we are faced with growing crises: we own less than (10%) of the national economy this, alone explains the African dilemma. There is no significant African business sector to benefit from the inflow of oil money and forging capital investments we and the Indigenous People are in economic sinking sand. Add to this, we have to deal with the challenges of increasing immigrants and geo-political realities. I have argued before and continue to maintain that the African condition is at its worst in our modern political history, we are facing economic and political domination and time is not on our side.

What is the way forward? In political terms, African politics should be guided by the need, for a resolution, of the historic divide and rule politics as a product of colonialism. The African economic and social conditions require politics guided by urgent and transformative development to reduce the widening gap between the African and Indian communities and the other ethnic economic communities in the country. We need to redirect African energies towards sectors of the economy that enable the building of generational wealth, as well as explore new sectors that offer similar opportunities. Talk of winning elections to address these matters is visionless and politically reckless since winning is never certain in our political reality. The experience of past elections have proven that winner take all elections have pushed the country backwards. There is a saying, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.

The nation has committed to a constitutional reform process; the African political leadership must use this process to achieve a new governance system ending winner-take-all government. We want executive power sharing in the constitution before agreeing to participate in any elections. We must fight this fight with all our might. It is not for the PPP to decide by itself the future of our oil-rich nation. A struggle for meaningful constitutional reform will reduce the possibility of a snap election by the PPP/government. This is the challenge facing the African community.

In closing, I salute Dr. Henry Jeffrey for his consistent advocacy for Executive power-sharing as a solution to our race/political zero-sum political engagement. I agree with his observations and analysis of recent political developments following the Congress/Conference of PNCR and AFC. His views were expressed during his appearance on the July 2, 2024 edition of Politics 101. Those leaders who run from this historical challenge will be judged harshly by history.

Yours sincerely,

Tacuma Ogunseye.

---

• Biennial Congres, Executive, important, Politics, Tacuma Ogunseye

---