| By Michael BenjaminGeneral and Regional elections have come and gone and despite the inauguration ceremony that officially placed Donald Ramotar into the seat of the Presidency yesterday afternoon, all is not well from a unified perspective. That the elections were riddled with inconsistencies coupled with the anger and resentment of a large number of supporters of A Partnership for National Unity (APNU) should warn the incumbency that any attempt to continue ruling along similar lines of the previous administration would not be tolerated by the opposition parties or its supporters.In contrast to the analysis of the political experts, coupled with the pre-elections stats of the pollsters, most of whom favoured the incumbency to regain power through a landslide victory, one definitive variable stood out, the electorate has debunked the experts’ analysis and placed the burden of development of this nation in the hands of every one of the three groups that comprise the legislature—the incumbency, APNU and the Alliance for Change (AFC).Ironically, amidst the acrimonious outbursts that characterized the campaign season, these very political groups will now be required to shelve such vitriol and engage in constructive discussions for the good of the nation.The final count, and by extension the allocation of seats in the legislative chambers, clearly underline the need for our politicians to abandon the partisan politics that has characterized the Jagdeo regime and hammer out a more realistic and all encompassing model that refashions the system, providing an opportunity for equitable distribution of the country’s wealth.The plurality of the Guyanese society should have warned our political leaders y of the necessity for dialogue and compromise towards the realization of this goal.Obviously, there has been a lukewarm reception by politicians on both sides of the divide to necessary constitutional reforms resulting in the creation of the hostile atmosphere that currently pervades the nation. To this extent, there has been much talk of a consociation model that would have ensured adequate representation of each ethnic group and a fair distribution of the country’s resources.During its tenure in the opposition benches, the People’s Progressive Party advocated the need for such reformations but upon its accession to office in 1992, apparently lost interest in such constitutional reforms. Now,Nike Air Max 95 For Sale, with the shoe on the other foot,Jerseys NFL Cheap, the People’s National Congress, in the oppositions’ benches,Chile Jersey, started to bellyache about the same system that they had an opportunity to revert, but whether through slothfulness or apathy, failed to address during their tenure in office.Consequently, a near 50 per cent of the electorate was consumed by the impartial attitude of the former Jagdeo Government that rendered them absolutely insignificant. The introduction of the Value Added Tax system, which was initially touted to have the ability to increase spending power,China Jerseys Free Shipping, proved to be an albatross around the necks of the masses thus increasing the howls of anguish.Despite the belief by a large percentage of the electorate that the incumbents had performed above the required mark and should be allowed to continue the developmental process,Cheap Nike Free Run Shoes, another equally large number debunked this analysis and trooped to the polling stations intent on changing the status quo.Upon conclusion of the voting process and after an inordinately lengthy period, characterized by confrontation of the supporters of both main political groups, not to mention the clashes with some politicians from the incumbency as well as accusations that some polling staff had been assaulted by politicians of the incumbency, the counting process commenced.All seemed to be going fine until nightfall approached. Claims of ballot box tampering were rife and politicians from the APNU camp maintained that the security of these receptacles was compromised. Several seals discovered at one of the polling stations were displayed as attestation to these claims. That such irregularities failed to impact upon officials of the elections commission who by their dismissal of those claims rendered them inconsequential, has raised the ire of APNU officials that have since vowed to pursue every angle and forum to vindicate their claims.Even as this article is being written, Donald Ramotar is taking the oath as the country’s seventh executive president; he will be the first to do so devoid of a parliamentary majority. Of note also was the absence politicians of the major opposition party APNU and it is no secret that those politicians still maintain that there were serious improprieties in the just concluded elections.While these contentions should not be dismissed as inconsequential, one of the most pivotal concerns should be the spin offs of the rotational system of the Presidency which has occurred simultaneously with the history making hung parliamentary structure.Director of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Research, Selwyn Ryan examined several proposals of what should be done to reduce the democratic deficits and ameliorate the political crises which characterize Caribbean democracy. He posits that such suggestions range from those which can be defined as minimalist and which aim to strengthen the regulatory machinery of the states while retaining the basic Westminster architecture to proposals that are more far reaching and which seek to replace that model with structures and processes that are more American and more consensual.Maybe it was the late Prime Minister Eric Williams of Trinidad and Tobago who captured the realities of a multiracial, pluralist society when he posited that in multi racial societies economic, religious and other vested interests should not only be given some say in the running of the country but should be given effective and symbolic representation in a nominated chamber.Mr. Williams was staunch in his belief that checks and balances are necessary in any democratic society.The pre-election parliamentary structure certainly defied such logics and paved the way for the acrimony and discontent that characterized the make up of the legislature.When the election results were announced, supporters of APNU that had envisaged a change of government became angry and frustrated. Many of them admitted that they were unaware of the historical overtones within the parliamentary structure. All they understood was that the incumbency was returned to office.This group immediately envisaged the hardships ahead and naturally was prepared to engage in whatever action it took to reverse the situation; they were not willing to endure such immense suffering for another day much less five years.Here is where the leaders intervened and carefully explained the parliamentary structures that presented a somewhat level playing field. Some degree of dialogue will now have to be employed if major legislature is to be passed. Naturally,Air Max 90 Essential White And Black Womens, the doubters envisaged a plethora of problems especially since the two major parliamentary groups, the PPP and APNU, have had a history of acrimony and ill will.One wonders if these two political groups could cast aside their differences for the sake of national development.During the elections, APNU campaigned under the promise of ‘A Good Life for all Guyanese.’ Adversely the PPP advocated ‘What’s in my cup stays in my cup.’ The fact that the latter group failed to accrue a working parliamentary majority in contrast to an improved standing from the last staged general and regional elections of the former group, is indicative that a significant portion of the electorate prefers a good life in place of a one party dominance as advocated by the lopsided slogan.The field is now somewhat leveled with each party entering the National Assembly on equal footing. It is now left to see whether good sense will prevail or if gridlock will see the nation returning to the polls in the very near future.Any such eventuality would cripple the true democratic spirit and might even rupture the egalitarian concept that emerged out of the just concluded elections. Can those groups cast aside party allegiance for national unity and cohesiveness? Only time will tell. |
