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Dear Editor,
Sections of the media published a letter titled “The UK Labour Party’s 1964 perfidy,” written by Mr. Ralph Ramkarran in which he stated that on August 18, 2023 former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair and his wife, Cherie Blair are to visit Guyana.
He further said that the visit is to promote the work of the Cherie Blair Foundation, which aims to help women in business which has already done work here in Guyana.
Mr. Ralph Ramkarran is the son of one of the PPP’s stalwarts. The gentleman proceeds to state that the British Government using his words “ No doubt the visit will give Mr. Blair the opportunity to learn more about Guyana and its new found oil wealth and to confer with high officials”
He goes on to state and I quote “When in 1963, another Conservative government postponed Guyana’s Independence and by a sleight of hand, imposed proportional representation for the sole purpose of removing the PPP government from office on the dictates of the US government, the Labour Party was again heavily critical of the decision.”
The above emotionally charged Statement is deceptive and since unlike some others I was involved, allows me to set the records straight of how proportional representation replaced the earlier Constituency, First Past the Post system.
After the end of World War II, the colonies of the British empire demanded Independence. As part of that process and in preparation for Independence, Elections were held in 1961.
In 1961, the PPP secured the majority of seats on the first past the post system. Of interest is that one seat, the Houston Constituency could not be taken up by the PPP as a result of an Election petition which found that the PPP operatives indulged in improper practices or the popular word “rigging,” the High Court ordered a By-Election be held for that Constituency. The PPP government never facilitated this, failing to comply with orders of the High Court.
More important is that even though the PPP won the majority of seats. They did not secure an overall majority of the votes. The PPP secured 20 parliamentary seats with 42. 6% of the total votes cast. The PNC secured only 11 seats with 41% of the total votes cast. The United Force secured 4 Seats, with 16.2% of the total votes cast.
At that time terrorists from a certain party had engineered an environment of arson, murder and mayhem. The coastal belt was characterized by maginot lines.
At that 1961 conference, Dr. Jagan demanded we go straight to Independence.
Burnham and D’Aguiar contended that with a society so divided and volatile, that 42% ought not to rule the majority of citizens and there was need for a system that did not promote minority rule. Certain measures were advanced and even efforts by the late Dr. Eric Williams, Trinidad and Tobago to break the deadlock failed. Dr. Jagan and the PPP did not support Burnham’s suggestion to return to Guyana to discuss our dilemma to find a modus vivendi.
The British government then suggested that a failure to break the deadlock would result in a delay of granting Independence. The three main areas of disagreement were first, a change of electoral system from first past the post to proportional representation, second, whether the qualifying age to vote should be moved from 21 years to 18 years and third, that Independence be granted after Elections using the new system of PR.
The idea for the British to break the deadlock surfaced. Burnham did not like the idea and urged the delegation to return to Guyana to find a way forward. However, Dr. Jagan agreed that the British break the deadlock by imposing a solution because, and I remember these words ringing in my ears, that he Dr. Jagan had great faith and confidence in the British sense of fair play and justice.
Dr. Jagan with alacrity was the first to sign the Memorandum, which stated that all sides would abide by the proposals of Her Majesty’s Government. Peter D’aguiar was the second to sign and reluctantly Burnham signed the document. The rest is history, suffice to remark that at the end of the Conference the PPP leadership returned home promising in their words, a hurricane of protests. This translated into an upsurge of violence along with statements such as awe pun top.
Dear Editor, I don’t know where Mr. Ramkarran was during the early 60s but I speak with authority and confidence, being General Secretary of the PNC at that period and writing from first-hand knowledge.
Political Pundits and Practitioners must stop rewriting our history, must stop blaming external forces for all that went wrong and is going wrong, must stop blaming one side for our woes, must stop this nonsense of sinners and saints. Let us learn from the mistakes we all made, let us all understand that political leaders can only serve their supporters well if they understand Guyana’s role and place in the world, in spite of our gold and oil, we are a small part.
Our leaders on both sides of the political divide,must possess the acumen to put Guyana first by understanding the world as it is. Some of our leaders for example, did not or could not understand the dynamics of the Cold War, could not understand why in 1947, British India split and it took the Gold Coast ten years after that to get its Independence.
Let us all on both sides of the political divide, pressure and persuade our leaders that the time is ripe for us to sit and talk, and talk, and talk so that we never again place our future, place our fortune or lack of it in the hands of aliens and our erstwhile masters.
I am reminded of the words of the Prophet Khalil Gibran “ Pity the Nation divided into fragments, each fragment deeming itself a Nation.” That is my prayer, that is my hope that we are not torn asunder. These are my aspirations.
In an earlier letter, I pleaded let the truth prevail.
Yours truly,
Hamilton Green
Elder
