Small parties have been appearing and disappearing since the first general election after the introduction of universal adult franchise in April 1953. Over thirty parties emerged to compete in all fifteen general elections over the past seventy years and others will continue to emerge in future elections.
Former President David Granger, speaking on the programme – The Public Interest – expressed his opinion that small parties might sincerely see themselves as catalysts for change despite their inability to win electoral majorities. Their formation might be influenced by the belief that they could energise public opinion by pursuing precise political purposes, by increasing electoral mobilisation by acting as vehicles of protest, by representing the rights of marginalized groups, by identifying the failures of the large parties to represent certain core interests and by constructing political platforms in their constituencies on local issues such as environmental security.
Granger felt that they are limited, however when they set out only to represent narrow, economic, ethnic, geographic or religious constituencies. They also risk having their core interests incorporated in the platforms of large parties and citizens can, in turn, vote for those large parties which represent their interests more efficiently. All small parties, together, received only 8,017 votes at the 2020 general and regional elections. Given their pledges to the electorate, some pursued strange courses of action afterwards.
The former president recalled that small parties arose when citizens felt that their interests were not represented adequately by the larger major parties. They emerged by challenging the major parties to change the political landscape by stronger adherence to core principles, by commanding governmental attention for regional interests and by coercing the governing party to do more for environmental stewardship and human rights for marginalised groups.
Small parties, often, fall because they cannot afford to employ staff and experienced consultants to conduct polls, engage the media or manage campaigns and to establish and equip headquarters. Evidence that they actually spend enough time to represent their constituents after the pre-election campaign has been hard to find. The interests of the thousands of persons who voted for small parties might still not be voiced ‘adequately’ in the National Assembly.
Granger observed that, from the outset, the predilection of small parties to present themselves to the public at upscale urban premises by prominent attorneys, business executives and medical doctors seemed to imagine a social and political scenario which differed from everyday reality for the majority of the population. He reminded, also, that the PPP had the means and motives to invent ‘cardboard’ parties to prevent their supporters from strengthening their opponents. The PPPC used this means for decades to divert votes from their rivals. Small parties can also collapse when their leaders become enchanted by the PPPC administration and accept governmental appointments.
The former president iterated his opinion that the emergence of small parties is an essential feature of Guyana’s democracy – at the local, municipal, regional and national levels. They are the backbone of ‘inclusionary democracy’. Their role in national politics could be enhanced by adopting new ideas − to ensure they secure a greater number of votes, survive for longer periods, avoid the curse of cooptation and provide stronger representation for their constituencies.󠄀
