Posted May 16th. 2002. - Special Feature by David Hinds

The PNC has to come better

Mr. Deryck Bernard last two letters have as usual been spot on. Well almost. The problem is that these letters from the progressives in the PNC save for Sherwood Lowe and Aubrey Norton, always lay out the problem but fail to commit the PNC to rationally solving the problem. Ultimately the PPP is blamed for everything. This is the case with Mr. Bernard's last letter (Stabroek News, May 16). Mr. Bernard says that a visionary and charismatic leader of the government could make the difference in Guyana. Point taken. But what about a visionary and charismatic leader in the PNC? Is Mr. Bernard implying that visionaries only make a difference when in government? Is he implying that the PNC is hiding its vision until it gets into office? Must the PPP, because it is in government, politically empower PNC African supporters? In a situation of racial rivalry no side willingly gives anything to the other side, so both sides must show vision.

Guyana has numerous ailments, but everyone but the leaderships of the PPP and PNC recognizes that these are fed and exaggerated by the competition over which side governs. My firm view is that a visionary PNC that articulates and works towards a clear resolution of this vexing question of governance in our racially polarized society is as crucial or even more crucial than a visionary PPP. While I agree in principle with the sentiment that the government must make the first move, I see no precedence in Caribbean political history where those who hold power willingly move to reduce it. I am guided by the Fredrick Douglass' dictum that power concedes nothing without a demand.

The naked truth is that while despair is abroad among all races in Guyana, but Africans, because they have no way to formally influence government, feel more excluded. What are their options-accept their marginalized status until the PNC gets back to power, seize the government by illegitimate means, or share the government with Indians whose despair is muffled because they rather a shaky Indian government than another African government. The only sensible option seems to be the third one. Shared governance is then more urgent for Africans than Indians. The PNC must muster the courage and demand what its supporters' want-- a share in the governance of their country where they can see their representatives making and implementing decisions that affect their day-to-day lives. The PPP will never willingly offer this, but I am sure that if demanded in clear terms, the PPP will be forced by the logic of the situation to concede. The PPP has conceded nothing, because nothing concrete has been demanded of them.

PNC's failure to seek a shared government sends a scary signal-it either wants African marginalization to continue until the PNC can by some miracle win back power legally or it wants to seize the government illegally. Why do non-PNC people have to continuously say what PNC supporters want, while the PNC skirt the issue? The PNC correctly demands supplementary things such as representation on Boards, parliamentary committees, disbandment of the Black Clothes, but never demands the real constitutional and moral due of its African supporters.

The PNC would do African people and Guyana a ton of good if it says two things as clearly as it can: 1) that it has no desire or design to dominate Indians again, and 2) that it does not want its African supporters to be dominated by an Indian government any longer.

There are many in the PNC leadership who scorn any mention of sharing governance because they probably want to get back in office by themselves to do exactly what the PPP is now doing-pay back the opponent. But while they wait for that opportunity their African supporters are turning their alienation and frustration on innocent Indians and in the process they are being consumed by a culture of barbarism. The PPP is marginalizing Africans, but the PNC, by its refusal to move Africans from their marginalized status to legitimate constitutional inclusion in decision-making, is killing the African psychologically.

The tragedy is that Africans believe that this is all the work of the PPP and its Indian supporters. And the PPP by its arrogance and dumb politics makes this lie appear to be the truth.

More than Ralph Ramkarran

I refer to a letter by Mr. Richard Lynne that demanded an apology from me for disparaging the Hon Mr. Ralph Ramkarran, Speaker of Guyana's parliament. (Stabroek News Monday May 16) I do not agree that I committed the offence as charged, so there is no need to apologize to the Speaker. But I would apologize to Mr. Luce for disappointing him. I agree that Mr. Ramkarran is one of the most honorable persons in public life. But he is a leader of a political party whose practice politics is to my mind not very honorable. We live in a culture where the party holds sway over the individual. Since I am not aware that Mr. Rankarran has ever publicly disassociated himself from some of the ugliness that passes for PPP governance, I have no confidence that he would be an impartial referee chair of the parliamentary. If as speaker he has not used his power to democratize the parliament, how can. I have confidence that he would do so as committee chair?

I agree with Stabroek News that the Speaker is supposed to be the symbol of parliamentary impartiality. But Speakers of Guyanese parliaments have never been impartial. And I make bold to say that an impartial Speaker can never be a member of the two warring factors. Were Mr. Ramkarran or any other PPP members of Parliament to be impartial, they would be kicked out of their positions. Yes, all parliamentarians elected the speaker, but that was mere formality for he would have been elected anyway. This is not about Mr. Rankarran the person. This is about the office of Speaker in a majoritarian parliament in a racially volatile situation.

Dr Hinds is a University Lecturer and Political Commentator and Activist. He currently teaches Political Science at Glendale College and Mt San Antonio College in California. Please send your comments on this article to dhinds6106@aol.com. An archive of Dr Hinds' other writings can be found on his website-guyanacaribbeanpolitics.com.