During these uncertain times, it is necessary and fitting to remind those whose eyes this testimony may reach that we must disabuse ourselves of the assertion which suggests that moderates do not exist among the voting population and in political parties and if so, insignificantly. This highly entrenched myth conjures a circumstance where there a large divide with those in red on one side and others in green and yellow on the other side, no one or nothing in the middle. Despite the results of national elections since 2011, some opinions continue to advance Guyana’s voting population as a collection of unthinking loyalists who cannot depart from the undying commitments of ethnic loyalties. I believe enough evidence has been manifested for any reasonable mind to conclude that there is a large swathe ready to support candidates and a platform that departs from the norm.
MODERATES IN THE VOTING POPULATION
If you are willing to support a political based on policies, consider yourself a moderate. If you are prepared to support a candidate based on the content of his/her character with zero consideration for ethnicity, you are a moderate. If a government that does not reflect your tribe brings unprecedented development to your community and you decide to lend them your support, you are of moderation. For these sentiments and conceptions, a hero or heroine is wanting. It is moderates who would have shaken the foundation of this polity when they gave the Alliance For Change (AFC) five parliamentary seats in the 2011 national and regional elections. It is they who continue to make election results uncertain and due to post-2015 developments, it is they who are presently screaming for chiefs and chieftesses who embody their sentiments. These screams for this heroism can be heard in the halls of the Republic.
MODERATES IN POLITICAL PARTIES
The bar is very low in the context of Guyanese politics to be labeled a progressive or a moderate within a political party due to our highly polarized circumstance. In my estimation, this badge is not fraught with many complexities which would include center-left, center-right, or middle of the center on economic and social issues as is obtained in normal societies. It is really not that complicated. I proffer anyone who takes the bold decision to put country first over the party and tribal inclinations, enjoys the pleasure of being considered a moderate in the Guyana political context.
And yes, they do exist within political parties but here is the thing: moderates in political parties have no choice but to secretly conceal their patriotic feelings for fear of being ostracized. If they express those views such as sweeping constitutional reform and more, they find it difficult to rise to positions of leadership. If there is even a hint of moderacy emanating from those leaders, they are swiftly opposed with much intrigue, subterfuge and ingenuity. The extreme left in those parties has mastered this art.
As a consequence, they are forced to express their views to their spouses in a quiet corner in their homes. Seldom do we see them braving the challenges and becoming disruptive voices in the party to shake the status quo. For them, there is no escape because vocal moderation can get you expelled or one can be forced to form a new political party and suffer a political death at the altar of tribalism. So while there is a need for a hero/heroine, such heroism is less likely to emerge from within the established parties and if they do emerge, it is often a three-card trick.
THE RISE OF HERO/HEROINE
Allow me to tempter my seemingly idealism with some realism. Not for a second do I believe that the time is nigh where a standalone candidate will form a political party and topple the dominance of the two juggernauts. My ability to dream does not stretch to those limits. Hence, based on all that I have said, the question is begged: where will such a hero/heroine emerge from and how can they affect change? I am of the view that moderates must look within the established parties, assess which part harbors progressive views and throw their support and political weight behind candidates heavily fortified behind those party walls.
