Dear Editor,
Greetings from Jamaica! As always, I wish the people of Guyana, my Guyana, heartfelt wishes across all spectrums and affiliations! I write today because the political situation in Guyana is now tantamount to a nail-biting Netflix drama series that would get rave reviews! However, I am not “deeply concerned” in the way one might think. Amidst the defections, rejections and reflections, there is still much good that can come out of the current situation if it continues to trend the same way.
This venerable newspaper would have published a headline for me on June 20, 2024, stating, “I see the matter of Hughes as APNU/Opposition leader being in the national interest as opposed to partisan preference.” I have not wavered in my belief that Nigel Hughes should lead, and I hold this conviction as firm as the Rock of Gibraltar. However, I see the AFC as a ship that has been hit by a supersonic torpedo, and it is NOT worth the captain going down with the ship as it were.
I have made it known (including in published writing) before the supersonic torpedo, i.e. the defections and significant weakening of the party, that it would have been a better pathway with a more optimistic future return on investment (ROI) if Nigel Hughes had formed a new party. Sometimes you must play the longer game and allow political manoeuvring to run its course.
Alas, we are where we are. My big brother, whom I affectionately refer to as Apocalypto, due to his very sobering social and political views on Guyana, has declared the AFC dead! If you speak to my brother about Guyana after drinking two bottles of XM Rum, you will find yourself sober enough to take a postgraduate exam and pass with flying colours!
So, where does this leave Nigel Hughes, aka Joshua? Wondering in the wilderness some more, left to hold the faith as he must! The Almighty tests us all, and Nigel Hughes will need to overcome. The Promised Land or Presidential Office is not in sight anytime soon, but he will have to continue to show his class and quality as a leader and show that he deserves his shot when the time is right.
I believe Nigel Hughes will win a seat or seats in Parliament, albeit under the AFC, and it will be his chance to show the country that he can be a positive agitator and policy maker/policy shaper in Parliament, the highest decision-making body in the land. It will be his chance to rise beyond campaigning, speeches, etc., and show that he has the guts and fortitude to be president. He has what it takes, given the chance.
The rest of the situation is interesting, and I am not sad about it. There are several independent players on the ground separate and apart from the AFC, PPP, and PNC/APNU Coalition. To me, this is a good thing. For the 2025 elections, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM) has approved nineteen party symbols, as it stands, the highest number in recent history, signalling a surge in new and independent political movements. Among the most prominent are We Invest in Nationhood (WIN), Forward Guyana Movement and the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP).
Guyana is one of the most mature democracies in the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) in terms of breaking the chains of a two-party system, and this situation must continue to grow! This election marks a watershed moment: with so many new parties and alliances, including WIN, Forward Guyana, LJP, etc., the electorate has more choices than ever before. Guyana’s proportional representation system means that even smaller parties, if organised, have a real shot at winning seats and influencing the legislative agenda.
I think the time has come and gone for the PPP, PNC, or PNC/APNU to have majority control of any sitting government. The only way forward is inclusive government, as was the vision of Forbes and Cheddi, which needs to now reflect the times and expand to the new players/parties on the field of play. Although some might not agree with me, based on the current hodgepodge, I think that no formal coalition superstructure going into the elections is a good situation.
It will force all the players to work harder, to think more strategically, to give olive branches and be more deliberate in coalescing to make things work and bring policies to life. This will also give independents who will win a seat and Nigel Hughes the opportunity to command the floor and show their political savvy. Currently, more independents going it alone and/or forming micro alliances is a better situation than persons falling into a coalition superstructure.
Breaking up the monopoly and advancing political pluralism is the agenda NOW! With so many new contenders in the race, the 2025 elections could see an unprecedented number of independent and third-party MPs. This could pave the way for a more pluralistic, coalition-driven government, one that truly reflects the diversity and dynamism of Guyanese society.
So go out there and make your vote count, Guyana!
Excellent regards,
Nicholas McDavid
About the author: Nicholas McDavid is a Guyanese-Jamaican consultant in creativity and innovation, advising clients on impact-driven strategies and managing diverse creative projects. He is also a Justice of the Peace (JP), passionate about local, regional, and global existential challenges.
