An examination of the results of the local government elections reveals people are still racially divided some fifty years after independence. The voters empowered the two major parties to continue to dominate them in the local communities as they do in the center. Voters must like it so. Otherwise, they would have given the smaller parties an opportunity to represent them. The results show we do not have a united nation, but divided loyalties based on ethnicity. The voters are responsible for this condition because they vote race and have refused to give the smaller parties and independents an opportunity to serve them. The voters were given several opportunities to split their votes and not give any party a majority so that there will be a balance of power in parliament to hold the two major parties accountable to the population. The same opportunities were presented to voters in LGE and the minor parties were rejected. The voters like having the major parties control, dominate and abuse them. The LGE results show people did not vote on issues or on balancing the power of the central government against the local governments or the major parties against the smaller parties. Instead, as happened in all elections since 1957, they voted race and rejected the minor parties. Although PNC (APNU) at times abused and or neglected their supporters when it was in office, Africans and Mixed still voted for it and rejected other African or multi-racial parties. And although PPP governments marginalized and neglected its supporters, the Indians still voted for it except in 2011 and 2015 when large numbers of Indians decided to teach the PPP a lesson and sent it packing from office. The Africans and Mixed are yet to take a lesson from Indians and punish their party to force it to reform or to abandon authoritarian tendencies. People must put aside party loyalty and racial identity and vote for those who will be committed to working for the betterment of the nation and their communities, for local empowerment and for strengthening democracy. The major parties have failed the voters over the last sixty years. And yet the voters reward the major ethnic parties rather than give power to the smaller parties as a counter balance against past persistent abuses. Now that the two dominant parties will control the center and the local governments, an effort must be made by both parties to reach out to the minor parties and civic organizations to include them in developmental objectives. The voters show now apply public pressure, since they did not want to punish the parties in elections, to force them to embrace all political forces and civic organizations to build a better nation. Guyana will not make progress unless there is racial unity and or national unity in which all parties, not just those who won seats, are welcomed in playing a significant role in national development. The minor parties and civic groups should be consulted on policy making. The major parties and their supporters need to put aside their differences and work for national cohesion for a better Guyana by embracing all regardless of party or ethnic affiliation.
Dear Editor,
A couple months ago, I penned a complaint about the violation of a lease agreement (an enforceable binding contract) between myself and the City Council for use of land in Back Road, Mandela Avenue, South Ruimveldt. I use the land to park my machinery. I also informed the Mayor, Hamilton Greene, about the violation of the lease to which I paid the appropriate fees. The Mayor promised privately to investigate the complaint and assured that the lease will not be violated. He also commented publicly that he would investigate the matter when queried by a news reporter and that he would revert back to me and to the media which carried my complaint. That has not happened. Since the complaint and the media interaction with Mayor Greene, the land in question is being developed with the rights to my lease being usurped by another person who claimed it was “given” to him by the City Council and the Mayor. The City Council and Mayor know fully well what is going on. Attached are a couple of photos to show work being done on the site. The person who has claimed the land and has taken over use of it said: “We have a new government. We in charge now. I tek the land. Nobody can’t do anything”. The person has a huge contractor with the new coalition government. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Are we going back to racial discrimination and racial bullyism? Is this the change people voted for? Will laws be enforced in this country? It is a case of racial and political discrimination in which the land was forcefully taken away from me and given to a supporter of APNU and a political donor. I spent millions of dollars to drain and develop what was a piece of useless swamp land for business use. I signed a lease and honored the contract paying land use. No one desired the land when it was flooded and of no value. After I developed it with my personal money, and turned it into a valuable property, others want it. And the City Council and Mayor have broken the lease agreement. At a minimum, the Council must compensate me for the value I stored unto the land and for breaking the lease.
Yours Truly Dr. Vishnu Bandhu Leader, URP