After fierce rivalry, the March 3, 2020 National Elections in Guyana have so far resulted in indeterminate results and bitter discord on how to bring the process to an objective and transparent, if not satisfactory outcome. It is not clear who may have won the Elections since the results have not been officially announced and a recount is ongoing.
As a citizen of Guyana and a political sociologist, I am troubled by the internecine struggles between the incumbent APNU/AFC Coalition Government and the rival PPP/C Party to control the state apparatus in the age of oil. Politics as Harold Laswell puts it is about the influence “Who gets What, When, and How” and the influential are those who get the most of what there is to get. With the discovery and exploration of vast deposits of high-quality oil and natural gas along with another natural resource potential the battle lines are deep and drawn between the two major political parties each accusing the other of electoral malpractices. Being diminished as a result is the brand and development potential of the country. Being weakened is the nation’s bargaining power in the face of powerful multinational companies and dominant foreign political powers who are seemingly indifferent to the well-being of the Guyanese people and their nationhood and content to watch another oil-rich developing country descend into developmental despair.
Regardless of the outcome of the 2020 General elections in Guyana, there will be no victors or positive consequences for the Guyanese people unless the country’s two major political parties form a governing coalition as a bastion of unity and strength, at least for the next five years. This calls for putting Guyana and its people first – regardless of race, colour or creed. This will not be easy and requires political maturity and a vision that I believe our leaders have and or are capable of mustering. Gentlemen, get it together!
