WPA to monitor racial division
Increased political violence likely under new government
In a press statement on Wednesday, the Working People’s Alliance (WPA) said that it endorses the position that the A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC) coalition is the most democratic government, post-independence.
This was said, given the current political climate and the contrast in the actions of the new government to that of the former.
The statement said after five months, a winner of the disputed March 2 elections has been declared, and a new Government is formally in place and firmly in transition.
The electoral crisis continues, even as it has shifted focus to “election petition” and the future of GECOM. The focus has shifted to the new government’s governance—its executive actions; legislative agenda, the State Security Apparatus, and the courts.
For WPA, at this juncture, racism is the ruling dynamic framing the extant electoral and political crises.
“This conjuncture has unfolded badly, even though President Granger, on behalf of the Coalition, has consistently maintained at home and abroad that, his Government would stand by its twin assurances of abiding with the rulings of the Courts and the Chair of GECOM. Of note, the Coalition Government has never ever come close to any political violence, killings, assassinations, repression of political persons, or holding political prisoners. WPA therefore, unapologetically endorses the position that the APNU+AFC Coalition Government has been the most democratic post-independence regime, and has presided over two local government elections, losing both, with no accusations from the opposition, of “electoral fraud”,” the statement outlined.
WPA further stressed in the statement that the United States has been the harshest critic of the Coalition during the crises. Ironically, its President has accused his political democratic opposition of rigging the forthcoming 2020 elections and predicting that it would require “four years to never” to sort this out.
In the coming weeks, WPA said it will delve into the revealed evidence of how serious the ethnic divide has become, supporting and reinforcing political formations.
“Our bottom-line consideration is that, at this historical conjuncture, it has become glaringly obvious, neither African Guyanese nor Indian Guyanese, as a general group, are prepared to feel secure in their destiny, with the “other” in Government. WPA concurs with the view that, undoubtedly, this insecurity is magnified whenever national elections are held. Consequently, we believe this makes national elections an existential threat for both races. With the stakes this high, no political holds are barred. WPA believes this de facto reality reveals exhaustion of the creative political capacity of the present Constitution. An entirely novel approach to national constitutional governance is, perhaps, Guyana’s biggest need. Tinkering with “inclusivity” will never be enough,” the socialist party disclosed.
