Similar views on Govt in Guyana and Trinidad

Dear Editor,
Opinion polls conducted in Trinidad about the Government in June, July and September revealed a similar trend in findings in polls conducted in Guyana – both incumbents losing appeal among voters, with many preferring a third force as a balance to keep Government and Opposition in line.
The polls were conducted by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) in June and July in both countries and over the last couple of weeks in Trinidad. The polls found that the Trinidad and Tobago (T&T) Prime Minister, Dr Keith Rowley and his Government have been badly slipping in popularity ratings, similar to the ruling dispensation in Guyana. However, the T&T Opposition UNC-led People’s Partnership has not been making gains unlike in Guyana, where Opposition Leader Bharrat Jagdeo’s popularity is much higher than that of the President and the PM.
In both T&T and Guyana, rising crime, widespread perception of corruption, arrogance among some Ministers and Government officials, and a stagnant economy, among other factors, are taking a heavy toll on the approval ratings of the PM (President) and the Government. The TT poll also reveals that the politics over the last several months has been static, with voters disgusted at both major political parties, not significantly different from Guyana. The ruling PNM and Opposition UNC are unpopular even in their own traditional heartlands. But in Guyana, the PNC remains the preferred choice among Africans and mixed Guyanese, while the PPP has re-attracted disgruntled Indians and Amerindians but that may not be enough to capture the Government. Support for the PPP among Africans remains stalled. However, in a free and fair election, the PPP could triumph because of the rising unpopularity of APNU and the AFC.
In the latest T&T poll, 96 per cent of those polled said crime was a major concern for them, up from 95 per cent in July and 93 per cent in June. Similarly, in Guyana, almost everyone was concerned about crime in June and July.
The latest poll in T&T also finds “perceived corruption” to be a worrying matter among the population, with 69 per cent saying corruption is a serious worry, up from 63 per cent in July and 54 per cent in June. In Guyana, the overwhelming majority of respondents in the July poll felt several Ministers in the Government were very corrupt.
Another worrying trend in both nations is the rising trend of the percentage of respondents who say they are worried that the country is not moving in the right direction – in T&T 89 per cent now up from 85 per cent in July and 83 per cent in June.  In Guyana, the figure was an alarming 75 per cent in July.
In terms of approval rating, the PNM Government has been tanking – 33 per cent now continuing a downward trend in June and July of 37 per cent and 35 per cent respectively. Voters are very disappointed with the broken promises of the PNM, as they are also with the coalition APNU/AFC in Guyana, especially with regards to constitutional reforms.
The approval rating of Dr Rowley is 40 per cent in September, down from 41 per cent in July and 42 per cent in June. Kamla Persad-Bissessar’s rating is marginally better at 42 per cent and has not seen much shift from June and July (43 per cent).
In Guyana, President Granger’s approval rating in July was 42 per cent and Nagamootoo 39 per cent and the coalition APNU/AFC Government was 34 per cent. The approval rating for Opposition Leader Jagdeo was 52 per cent. In terms of popular support, none of the parties has attracted majority support. The PNM and UNC are at 30 per cent each, with people clamouring for a new political dispensation.
In Guyana, many who voted for the AFC have become disenchanted with it, but are not gravitating towards the PPP. A significant number of voters in Guyana want a new force similar to the unaligned voters in Trinidad.
The poll also queried voters on other issues in Guyana. The findings will be released in a subsequent report.

Yours truly,
Vishnu Bisram