Dear Editor,
In a letter published in a local newspaper on December 23, written by Vishnu Bisram, the writer raised certain issues which require a response.
In that letter, Bisram purports to polemise on the electoral chances of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) at the next elections and expresses the view that the PPP/C is labouring under some delusion about winning those elections.
He argues that among the bases for this delusion are that the PPP/C has neglected its constituency, many officials have erred, the PPP/C’s campaign style is lewd, and PPP/C officials are guilty of arrogance without any action taken against these officials by the party.
Bisram has demonstrated a genuine and deep-seated lack of understanding of the role, function and ideology of the PPP/C. The PPP/C is, and from its inception, has always been a mass-based political movement dedicated to be the vanguard of each and every struggle to remove the working people from the chains of exploitation and poverty.
The party has also always sought to forge racial unity among our people and to remove class domination and discrimination in any form or fashion in our country. To achieve these objectives, the PPP/C has used, and will continue to use, a scientific approach as an interpretive tool in its analysis.
From its tried and tested foundational principles, the PPP/C has never and shall never resile. In the pursuit of its objectives, the PPP/C sees executive government merely as a means towards an end and not the end itself.
It is our view that, while we are in government, it makes it a little easier to achieve these ends. But whether in or out of government, those goals shall continue to be pursued. In this regard, we rely on our record over the last 60 years to vindicate us.
Therefore, Bisram’s reduction of the PPP/C to an electoral machinery, merely interested in the winning of elections, is a profound error, which forms the genesis of every erroneous assertion he makes and flawed conclusion he draws thereafter in his missive.
For example, he argues that the PPP/C will not attract multi-racial support even if it increases public servants’ salaries. As a working-class party that has struggled valiantly for over 60 years for a liveable wage for workers, the PPP/C will never utilise salary increases as a political token to workers anywhere.
We will always strive to pay the highest wage possible, provided that the economy can sustain it and the treasury can afford it.
The notion peddled that the party does not understand the reality on the ground is one that is said of political parties everywhere. The fundamental truth is that political activism is always a work in progress. The PPP/C recognises this reality and, through its party machinery, is constantly engaged in such endeavours.
Admittedly, the same way that political gains are made while a party is in government because it is able to deliver goods and services, similarly, political losses are suffered when goods and services are not delivered or when officials, through no fault of their own, have to refuse demands, both reasonable and unreasonable, of political constituents because the treasury cannot afford it.
Arrogance and neglect are the resultant rebuke. These are realities which all political parties in government must bear.
The criticism levelled in respect of the campaign style employed at the last elections is one that has validity. Both President Donald Ramotar and I have made statements recognising that mistakes were made in this regard. Public commitments have been made not to repeat these errors.
Bisram credits the People’s National Congress (PNC) in not deluding itself in thinking that it can win multi-racial support. According to him, “It fished where there were schools of fish…. The PPP/C, on the other hand, fished where there were no fish, wasting bait and losing its cast-net.”
As is stated above, one of the goals of our party is to strive to bring racial and working class unity among our people. From the pursuit of this goal, we shall never depart.
Unlike the PNC, we will never engage in ethnic and racial campaigning. We will continue to persevere to unite our people. So to Bisram, we plead guilty and we say that we will continue to fish where you think there is no fish even if we have to waste more bait and lose more cast-nets.
As the oldest and largest political party in Guyana, we owe that to our country and our people. The luxury of an alternative is simply not available to us.
Unlike the PNC (A Partnership for National Unity [APNU]) and the Alliance For Change (AFC), we are not political fishermen. We are nationalist politicians championing the every cause of all of our people.
Governmental power is simply a conduit through which we do this. It is not our ultimate destination.
Yours faithfully,
Clement James Rohee
General Secretary, PPP/C