Dear Editor,
Racism is very evil and must not be tolerated in any shape or form by the PPP or the PNC. Both parties are guilty of practising racial and political discrimination in government, in varying degrees, some may argue. But who is more discriminatory than the other does not get us anywhere. The essential thing is to recognise that it does exist and to stamp it out completely.
Both parties will say that they have members from the different race groups in leading positions in their respective parties, but does that make them non-racial? The fact is that neither of the two race-based parties have been able to cross the racial divide. It tells us a lot about their structures, policies, programmes, internal democracy and political and international outlook.
The reactionary elements in the PNC, like the PPP, would not like us to remind them of their discrimination. Oh, no. It would appear to some in the PNC that it is an anti-racist party, although that is far from the truth. Mr Hamilton Green has a lot to answer for, and unless he leads this process of reconciliation the nation will not be healed. The ordinary Indian Guyanese must be able to see the PNC as a truly multiracial movement for change.
Mr David Granger has stalled the process of building a very broad-based alliance, given his role of Chairman of APNU. He has failed the nation dismally by his sterile leadership and his inability to establish a formidable relationship with the AFC. He has been very arrogant to members and supporters of the APNU, bringing his ex-soldier attitude into his political life. He should take a leaf out of the book of Eddie Collins, a former chief-of-staff of the Guyanese army, who displays a perfect people’s personality.
Mr Granger has been too secretive in dealing with matters to do with the public. We must call on him to be democratically accountable, as we do with President Ramotar; neither of them has delivered anything substantial to the nation.
With respect to constitutional reform, all the parties in Guyana say that there is urgent need for constitutional and electoral reforms – really? I just don’t believe them. I do not like political parties, left, right or centre. The structure of parties always leads to one form of dictatorship or another, depending on which one is in power.
We need to work towards what you call peoples‘ power, which is very much hated by these power hungry politicians in Guyana.
We need to establish a very broad-based movement, where ordinary people can have a meaningful say in the running of things on the ground, and not be directed by overgrown political bureaucrats who just want to get their hands in the public coffers.
David Granger of the PNC-APNU and Khemraj Ramjattan of the AFC have done absolutely nothing to amend our constitution created by Forbes Burnham. Why? Because all of them hope that each of them will get a turn to rule under the minority government structure that prevails at the moment.
They talk a lot of nonsense about not wanting a Westminster-style government, meaning a British-type of government. Are they so ignorant that they do not know that Guyana does not have a democracy? On which planet do they live? The British are able to form a coalition government; constitutionally we cannot do that all due to the current PNC constitution which the PNC and PPP do not want to change.
The matter is very simple: The combined opposition need to bring a motion in the National Assembly calling for a referendum. When the motion is passed, they will have the upper hand to campaign for it nationally and internationally.
If the President then refuses to sign a Bill, he and the PPP will be totally exposed for continuing this petty dictatorial rule. Given the low morale of the Guyanese people, they will not like the end result, which will be one of further destruction of the PPP, as we know it.
Guyanese must see these people for who they are. They do not represent us and we must continue to expose them everywhere, using every forum.
A revolutionary situation arises out of a struggle for reforms in the interest of the majority of ordinary people.
Yours faithfully,
Jinnah Rahman
