‘Contributions’ made by third force political parties (Part 1)

Dear Editor,
My letter seeks to analyse and evaluate the ‘contributions’ made by third force political parties, namely two which have had the potential to change the political culture in Guyana away from the two-party political domination. These are the United Force (UF) and the Alliance for Change (AFC).
It is an accepted fact that the PNC and the PPP have dominated voting in nearly all elections at every level of Government, and a third force is meant to represent a departure from the way things are being done, the most important departures being the eradication of corruption and poverty, the tackling of unemployment, and the separation of powers.
But what is the true intention of these third forces? Was it to bring the changes mentioned, or simply to get rid of the PPP and enjoy the “good life”?
Since these small parties lack the numbers to win an election outright, they have to coalesce with either the PPP or the PNC. In the past, such a coalition was possible before the General Elections, but now the coalition must occur before such elections.
Two significant coalitions to mark these different scenarios are the following: the PNC and the UF coalescing in 1964, and the PNC-dominated APNU and the AFC coalescing in 2015. Remarkably, both are failures!
Guyana’s long period of economic bankruptcy and social decay, from 1964 to 1992, can be traced back to when the United Force introduced itself into the political arena as the ‘third force’. This curse lasted 28 long and hellish years, which saw the PNC dictatorship wreaking havoc on all things progressive. No stone was left unturned in destroying the socio-economic fabric of this nation.
But what happened to the third force during this 28-year period? The United Force was unceremoniously kicked out of the Coalition Government because its leader dared at some point to question the policies and corrupt practices of its bigger partner — the PNC. This unholy alliance lasted just over two years, but the devastation lasted 28 years, and was punctuated daily by starvation, mental anguish and degradation, abject poverty, and an upsurge in criminal activities and prostitution. It was a time when it was a criminal act to have certain food items in your possession! The only benefits were reaped by the PNC, and those who benefited from the UF were the ones who crossed the floor. How many from the AFC will cross the floor in 2020?
In 2015, another Coalition was birthed, this time with the AFC, a political party launched to ‘free’ the Guyanese people and bring ‘prosperity”. In the AFC’s Action Plan 2011, Presidential Candidate Mr Khemraj Ramjattan had decisively stated that, “Over four decades of PNC and PPP Governments have left us all bruised, weary and hopeless,” while Mr Raphael Trotman had proudly declared that, for 45 years, Guyana has had the same parties making turns in the wrong directions, disappointing and betraying (their) citizens and allowing for an unfair distribution of the country’s wealth, as the rich got richer while most Guyanese continued to remain poor.
With all these declarations being made, both these AFC leaders shamelessly embraced the PNC in their quest for power, of course being chaperoned by the Cadillac Man. However, after the coalition, the PNC was omitted from the equation and the AFC became the ‘poodle’ of the PNC. The fight became an obsession to get rid of the PPP, with the atrocities of the PNC conveniently forgotten!

Yours sincerely,
Haseef Yusuf
RDC Councillor,
Region 6