Ever since it reared its head in politics, there’s been the perennial question of whether we can cure ourselves of “ethnic voting”. A lot of folks finger Burnham’s split of the PPP in 1955 as the initial moment of the “ethnic rearing”, but that can’t possibly be the full story. If Burnham didn’t think he’d get support from African-Guyanese, he wouldn’t even have attempted the split in the first place! Actually, when Jagan and the members of the PAC decided to form a political party, even though many of them were Marxists, they ALL agreed the leadership had to represent, IN THEIR ETHNIC ORIGIN, all the six peoples of Guyana!
In fact, they agreed for Ashton Chase to move aside for Forbes Burnham – whom they felt had greater support among African-Guyanese, even though he hadn’t even run for dog-catcher before he left for law studies in England!! And that’s the essence of what we call “ethnic voting”, innit?? Seems folks are predisposed to voting for people like themselves. Do they see themselves reflected in such leaders?? Meaning, they aren’t nobodies who can’t run their own affairs – as the Brits had insisted for centuries – but somebody like themselves can do the job??
Actually, race was present in politics from the day Guyana was founded by the Dutch, and they dragged Africans to slave for them!! That was a racial hierarchy if there ever was one, baby!! And things haven’t really changed, have they?? Since then, it’s always been one racial group after the other trying their darndest to replace the White Man!! First you had the Mulattoes, who reasoned that at least they had some white blood!! Burnham helped disabuse them of THAT notion!! But those old imperatives still linger in some – even though most have seen the political fight as being between the Indians and Africans!!
And we return to that old conundrum of what it’ll take to get all Guyanese to vote on issues, and not on racial affinity. Both Burnham and Jagan tried Marxism as an ideology that insisted that race/ethnicity wasn’t REAL – and folks who acted along that demarcation were missing the boat. It was really about the “have nots” against the “haves” – but they both died without making a dent on the racial/ethnic compulsions.
And we arrive in the present, where we have a nation where none of the six peoples can form a majority on their own and take office.
So, you’d think the parties would quit emphasising racial voting, since it can’t get them over the political hump, wouldn’t you?? In the LGE, the PPP made a concerted effort to do just that – unlike the PNC – and their overall success shows that maybe – just maybe – we’ve turned the corner!!
…to new leadership?
Your Eyewitness just learnt that yesterday was “World Elder Abuse Awareness Day”. Interestingly, just as folks were getting ready to go to the LGE polls, David Granger – immediate past President and Leader of the PNC – came out of seclusion from Pearl (NOT Pearl a Lago!!) to take on the PPP. In a long, sanctimonious statement, he accused the PPP of not being “trustworthy”, and of trying to dominate the political space!!
Sadly, nary a head was turned – literally or figuratively – to listen to him. And your Eyewitness wonders whether this constituted “Elder Abuse”?? After all, the man’s almost eighty and doddering!! Or is “Elder abuse” only being committed when the self-anointed “Elder” Green cusses out everybody but the PNC for destroying our once fair country?? Anyhow, your Eyewitness feels that to stop elder abuse, there ought to be a retirement age declared for political leaders.
Can there be anything more pathetic than Granger rivalling Biden for stumbling??
…in circles
There was a news article about the rise of neo-Nazism in Brazil. Seems the Boys from Brazil are back!! But seriously folks, we can’t ignore the rise of neo-Nazism across the US and Europe. Not the Azov troops fighting for Ukraine.
