The majority of respondents from a popular opinion survey believe that race relations in the country have worsened under the A Partnership for National Unity/Alliance For Change (APNU/AFC) Administration.
The opinion poll by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) is being conducted by New York-based political analyst Dr Vishnu Bisram on contemporary social and economic issues. The survey interviewed 710 registered voters (43 per cent Indians, 30 per cent Africans, 17 per cent Mixed, nine per cent Amerindians and one per cent others) at random to reflect the composition of the population. The findings were analysed at a 95 per cent significance level with a marginal error of plus or minus four per cent.
Asked if they are concerned about the state of race relations in the country, 86 per cent said ‘yes’, with eight per cent not offering an opinion and six per cent saying ‘no’.
Some 12 per cent of respondents feel race relations have gotten “better” or improved since the change in Administration, with 13 per cent saying it is “about the same as” during the previous Peoples Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) Administration’s last months in Office, eight per cent not offering an opinion and 67 per cent saying it has worsened under the coalition Government.
Asked if they think the coalition Government is racially biased, almost every PPP and AFC supporter responded in the affirmative and almost every APNU (PNC) supporter said “no”.
Some 52 per cent of the respondents said the coalition Government is racially biased, taking care of its own traditional supporters and neglecting others.
According to the findings, they cited, among other evidence, hiring and firing practices, awarding of Government contracts and directing most resources to communities that traditionally support the PNC during elections.
Meanwhile, on the matter of corruption, almost everyone (including PNC and AFC supporters) feels the coalition Government has exhibited corrupt tendencies.
Some 56 per cent feel corruption has worsened under the APNU/AFC coalition with 12 per cent saying “it is about same” as under the last years of the PPP regime, seven per cent not offering an opinion and 25 per cent saying corruption has “lessened” since the change in Administration.
