Dear Editor,
The lure of power and pecuniary gain will always rule paramount for third parties. This was evidenced in the 1964 elections, and again in the 2015 elections by both the UF and the AFC. The pretenders and the pretensions of these third parties are well documented.
In fact, those in the AFC are currently squandering the opportunity to become patriots who can bring about the necessary changes to propel this country towards socio-economic growth. Where have the progressives gone? Without an iota of doubt, they have been utterly consumed by the PNC, because of their greed and lust for power. Another third party just dissipated!
It must be recalled that the main thrust and objective of the leaders of the AFC was to ‘get rid of the PPP’, as evidenced even before the coalition was formed by the subversive tactics they used in Par-liament. It was never about putting Guyana first, but rather about getting rid of their arch enemy. At no point in time was the AFC honest about tackling the socio-economic problems facing this country. They made the country ungovernable, and this led to a vote of no confidence tabled by Nagamootoo, the dissolution of Parliament, and the calling of an early Election in 2015.
It must also be recalled that, at its formation, the founding leaders had vowed never to coalesce with either the PPP or the PNC, since they claimed that both had destroyed this country. They had vowed to remain independent, but the grand entry of the genuine pretender Moses Nagamootoo just be-fore the 2011 Elections changed all of that, with his guile and innate ability to manipulate.
Therefore, Mr Ralph Ramkarran’s proposal outlining the characteristics which a third party must have in order to be viewed as utopian in nature is meant for academic discourses rather than being based on the realities of our situation. I am sure he is genuine in what he has proposed, but it simply will not work.
There will never be ‘political unity,’ such stuff are what dreams are made of; it is a myth! The ‘waste, extravagance and corruption’ of our oil monies have been set in motion. Furthermore, no third party will be willing to hold the reins of the Presidency until the Constitution is amended to include shared governance, in accordance with the parties’ support at the elections. This will happen only if the third party wins a majority and can get a two-thirds majority or call a referendum. This will never happen!
On the other hand, if the third party does not secure a majority or a plurality, then it will be in opposi-tion advocating for a unity Government. This, again, will never happen, since the winner takes all men-tality bears a strong incentive against this. The alternative scenario is that, if this call is ‘resisted,’ then the third party will support ‘the party which agrees to implement its policies of constitutional reform, leading to inclusive governance,’ to fight poverty, crime and corruption. In opposition, the AFC has proven that it will work to topple the Government to secure power and a ‘good life’ for itself. So this, again, will not happen.
Where will we find a third party which possesses ‘that higher purpose which resonates with the Guya-nese people’? Third parties have proven themselves to be the means by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people and to usurp for themselves the reins of Government. Another third party is criminal!
When I was a boy, I once said to my father, “Dad, we need a third political party.” He said to me, “I’ll settle for a second.” (Ralph Nader)
Yours sincerely,
Haseef Yusuf
RDC Councillor,
Region Six