Dear Editor,
THIS letter represents my understanding of both the African and Indian masses position on the current election crisis in the country. I have chosen to do so in what I consider as a reader-friendly manner. The points are not listed in any form of preference, importance, or chronological order, and it is not my intention to put any political weight on any point. They also do not represent the full extent of the views from both quarters. I try to present them as I have encountered them over time, and with my own random recall.
THE AFRICAN VIEW: Losing the elections will result in PPP/C and Indian domination as experienced during the 23 years of PPP/C rule, economic, political and social marginalization, and a Coalition victory is the only way to prevent domination. Granger and the APNU+AFC played fair on Election Day, and were not involved in rigging. The PPP/C on Election Day organised massive rigging, and got fraudulent votes in the ballot boxes, and the PPP/C numbers are fraudulent. Mingo’s Region 4 tabulations were an attempt to undo PPP/C rigging; the PPP/C first began the rigging on Election Day; if the PPP/C did not rig, the APNU+AFC would have had more votes. GECOM and CARICOM betrayed the recount/verification process, stabbing Granger and the Coalition in the back by only addressing tabulations and not verification. The array of forces, internal and external against the Coalition is unjustified and one-sided. The ABCE countries, OAS, Commonwealth, UN are doing what the US demands; this situation is as a result of the strong and powerful bullying the weak and powerless. This is an injustice which they, the African masses, and the Coalition must resist; see the PPP/C return to office, as the return of State- sponsored killings of Africans; the return to systematic economic apartheid; the PPP/C’s return to office will lead to African security forces oppressing Africans in the interest of PPP/C and white people. The present role of the US and its allies is that of regime change, like the Carter intervention in 1992; once the PPP/C gets back into office, the US and the ABCE countries will do as they did post- 1992 and allow the PPP/C to do as it pleases. Indians only want to make money; they don’t join the army to defend the country; Africans are the only group that is committed to the defence of the country, and this is not recognised and compensated. This service deserves a special entitlement. The lessons of nationalisation in the 70s and 80s where 80% of the economy was State-owned property owned collectively by all Guyanese, when de nationalisation took place, the majority of the State assets went to non-Africans; we did not have the money. Africans are more open to power-sharing than Indians; given our weak economic standing, foreign business coming to Guyana have little or no African business enterprises to enter into joint ventures. The oil-and-gas industry and wealth under the PPP/C will worsen the economic disparities between the races; this leaves them with no credible alternative but to fight for a reset of the social contract. Opposed to sanctions; see it as bullyism by the US and its allies (White people), and are prepared to live with the consequences.
THE INDIAN VIEW: A PPP/C victory will enhance their economic and social domination of the country; the continuation of the APNU+AFC rule will put limitations on their economic, social and political aspirations. They feel that the Coalition is hostile to their interests; want the continuation of winner-take-all governance system, since it favours their numbers; feel historically that only the PNC and Africans rig elections; don’t believe that the PPP/C ever rigged an election; that the elections were won by the PPP/C fairly; that the Region Four tabulations were electoral fraud by the APNU+AFC; see the recount as confirmation that the PPP/C won the elections; don’t recognise the evidence of fraud that was exposed in the recount process; at the start of the election process, viewed the GECOM Chair as pro-Coalition; now see her as pro–PPP/C; see GECOM and CARICOM insistence on the use of the recount tabulations for declaring a winner of the elections as correct, and in keeping with the agreement between the President and the Opposition Leader; welcomes the US and ABCE countries position on the elections; are energised by the local and international support for the PPP/C; see the resorting to the courts by the PPP/C as correct, and the resorting to the courts by the APNU+AFC as wrong; believe that a PPP/C government will reopen closed sugar estates; feel that the Granger administration was closing down the underground economy, cutting off wealth from Indians; see the African presence in the Army and security forces as a danger to their community; consider themselves to be better managers of the economy; a PPP/C government is the best option to control the oil wealth; that the Africans don’t like business, and that is responsible for their poor standing in the economy. African claims for historic justice is not their concern; feel that the PPP/C will protect them from Africans; support sanctions against the government, even to the point of ignoring the possible effects such sanctions will have on them; blame the APNU+AFC for the emergence of the Chinese in the commercial sector as a government policy against their interests, and feel that the large presence of Trinidad/Indian businesses emerging in the country is to their advantage in the oil-and-gas sectors.
putting together these observations, I am conscious that as an African that I am more aware of the thinking of Africans, and am confident that I adequately represent their views on the elections. However, I can’t claim the same for my observations of the Indian view, since I am outside of that community, and my representations (of the Indian view) in this regard may be inadequate. I hope that Indian comrades and others inside and outside of the WPA may add to our understanding of the Indian view on the elections.
Regards,
Tacuma Ogunseye
Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_e-paper_7-22-2020