Political parties should not be participating in elections in the NDCs

Dear Editor,

The announced intent of the APNU+AFC and PPP that they are going to be participating in the local government elections (LGE) is an indication that the national politicians have an interest in determining and occupying every political space, stifling the free-spiritedness and local camaraderie of the people.

There is a culture which pervades this society and which we have experienced, whereby when persons of any political party express an alternative opinion to their leaders in Georgetown, they are attacked, demonised and marginalised. There must be growth in our politics, which includes respecting the right to dissent or hold alternative views to that of the establishment. Such actions are healthy for germination of ideas, that can lead to growth and development of the nation’s body politic.

In the 1994 LGE Desmond Hoyte took a decision that the PNC would contest the municipalities and in the Neigh-bourhood Democratic Councils (NDCs) citizens would form themselves into groups and participate with a view of managing their own affairs. Though the view is held that Hoyte’s decision was out of concern for losing at the NDCs, it was one of the most progressive steps in this nation in furtherance of realising the devolution of power to the people at the grassroots level. This was an act of deepening and strengthening the people’s right to self-determination. This nation must strive to build on it.

This nation has seen persons across the political and racial divide in their neighbourhood sharing positive relations, irrespective of the party supported at the general and regional elections (GRE). The strengthening of these neighbourly relations will see efforts at further nurturing that would allow the people to identify and elect their leaders regardless of the political persuasion which would have influenced their GRE votes.

LGE is about allowing the people to elect leaders from their communities to manage their affairs within their neighbourhood. It is not about the national leaders of Freedom House, the APNU headquarters, the AFC headquarters determining who in which neighbourhood must be on the list. We must build on 1994 and allow the communities the opportunity to heal and build a natural cohesiveness free of partisan party political influences in the most basic, yet still vital, aspect of government.

There is legitimate concern, given that the statements coming from the national leaders reflect an intention to control the communities and also determine for the communities who must be their candidates and representatives, which goes against the grain of the right to self-determination. This behaviour is synonymous with the appointment of Interim Management Committees (IMCs) by the PPP. The message being sent to the people is that national leaders are going to take their right away to determine who must be their local leaders.

This act of political parties running in the NDCs will not contribute to the devolution of power or shared governance consistent with the spirit and intent of the constitution. What it will surely do is ascribe more power and authority to central government and political headquarters than the constitution intended. It also represents a new form of political imposition and makes a mockery of respecting the tiers of government.

There are political parties who in some communities cannot muster three votes but by joining a coalition where they are recognised they create opportunities to enter communities or be assigned seats on the pretext of political representation. This is not representation. It is the use of association to impose one’s will on the people and goes against the grain of democracy and what elections ought to be.

The political parties should not be participating in elections in the NDCs since their presence can polarise the atmosphere and lead to a further loss of trust on the part of the citizens in the political process. The opportunity presents itself for each party, be it PPP, PNC, AFC, WPA, GAP, JFAP, IP, etc, to mobilise and contest in each of the towns. In doing so the votes they acquire will reflect the support they have among the populace.

Elections allow for gauging the will of the people in terms of who they want to represent them. This basic tenet must not be lost sight of or sacrificed for any individual or group benefit. Local government gives the communities the opportunity to identify and elect their leaders and this must be respected. The society must agitate for and accept no less.

Yours faithfully,

Lincoln Lewis