Dear Editor

An opinion survey conducted by the North American Caribbean Teachers Association (NACTA) last week found a significant percentage of voters upset with the parties over their handling of the no-confidence motion and the proroguing of parliament. While a majority of the nation is opposed to the no-confidence motion, people are almost equally divided in their position on the parliamentary prorogation. At the same time, an overwhelming majority disagrees with the opposition’s stance of refusing to meet with the President for dialogue on reconvening parliament. Voters overwhelmingly express disappointment with APNU leader David Granger and AFC leader Khemraj Ramjattan for rejecting President Ramotar’s invitation for dialogue to break the impasse. Nevertheless, a large majority feels the President should dissolve parliament and hold fresh elections since the opposition is unwilling to meet with him to work out a solution to the prorogation.

The poll randomly interviewed 410 voters to yield a demographically representative sample (44% Indians, 30% Africans, 16% Mixed Race, 9% Amerindians, and 1% other races) of the population. The poll was conducted in face-to-face interviews and was coordinated by New York-based pollster Dr Vishnu Bisram. The results of the poll were analyzed at a 95 per cent significance level with a statistical sampling error of plus or minus four percentage points.

Asked if they approve of the AFC no-confidence motion to bring down the PPP government and hold new general elections, only 35% said yes with 55% saying no and 10% not offering a response.

Asked if they support President Ramotar’s decision to prorogue parliament, 42% said yes with 44% saying no and 14% not giving an opinion. A sixth of the ‘nays,’ are PPP supporters who feel that instead of the prorogation the President should have dissolved the parliament and called snap elections to resolve the political impasse. And among the ‘yeas’ are a significant number of APNU-AFC supporters who didn’t want parliament to be dissolved as yet.

Asked if the opposition should accept the President’s invitation for a dialogue on reconvening parliament, 70% said yes with 21% saying no and 9% not offering an opinion.

Asked if the President should dissolve parliament and hold fresh elections in light of the opposition’s refusal to meet with him to address the prorogation, 80% said yes with 12% saying no and 8% not offering an opinion.

The survey also polled voters on social issues like suicide and domestic abuse and on the approval and favourability ratings of President Ramotar and Opposition Leader Granger, popular support for the parties in the event of a general election, as well as support for AFC presidential aspirants.

Yours faithfully,
Vishnu Bisram