By Philomena Robertson
HBN NY
NEW YORK, USA, August 28, 2006 - As Guyanese nationals in the South American nation go to the polls today, nationals in the US Diaspora share varied emotions with some predicting the ruling Peoples Progressive Party/Civic could be forced into a coalition government given the strong showing of the Alliance For Change party in the polls.
Chairman of the board of directors of the Caribbean and Floridian Association of Central Florida, Andy King, says while he believes the PPP/C could secure the most votes in the elections today, he also feels that based on recent polls, "it might be the first time we (will) have some power sharing."
But King believes a coalition government "might be a welcome thing for the Guyanese people at this point in time."
Guyanese businessman and community activist, Ramesh Kallicharan, also shares the prediction of a possible coalition. "I do not think with the trend of politics and migration that it will be an outright victory," Kallicharan told HBN recently.
He too believes the AFC will feature prominently in a coalition government and that its delegates possess a genuine desire to effect change. "I've had the opportunity to listen to them and found the messages, some of the things they bringing out to be not party politics but to bring the country forward," he commented.
For David Hinds, an executive member of the Working People's Alliance, the majority or the plurality of the election result hinges largely on voter turnout today. But he feels that in the event a coalition government becomes necessary, the "PPP will opt for a coalition with the AFC, not the PNC because the historic role of the PPP is to keep the PNC out of power."
Hinds, who is also an assistant professor at Arizona State University, says a large turnout of Afro-Guyanese voters will deny the PPP/C victory. But he concedes that Indo-Guyanese generally go out and vote. "The PPP is good at getting people to the poll," he added.
However, political scientist Dr. Festus Brotherson is "not as optimistic as some are that he AFC will have a very good showing." He bases this opinion on what he says is a lack of a mass support base.
Although he admits it's too soon to speculate on the outcome of the poll, Brotherson says coalition governments "just do not work well in Guyana." Adding, "As a matter of fact, they do not work well for the entire English speaking Caribbean."
Nigel Westmaas, a professor of African Studies at Hamilton University, citing the history of racial intolerance among Guyanese, fears "more explosions of social violence."
Westmaas, who is also an executive member of the WPA, says unless the political parties move past the narrow-minded approach to politics, Guyana will continue to experience "a recurring crisis of racial intolerance, social disintegration and economic decline."
Like Westmaas, Caribbean journalist Allison Skeete is highly critical of the current state of affairs in Guyana and wants to see some much needed change. "Both the PPP and the PNC have quashed the yearning of any young people who would garner the knowledge and step forward" to help the country along its path of development," says Skeete. "The old guard that is in place doesn't seem to think that they will die and they have not done anything to encourage the younger generation to step up and take the reins."
For his part, former newspaper columnist, Ras Michael has lost all faith in the electoral system. "I don't see any usefulness in the system that we have. It's not working, it doesn't represent the people in the country... it gives rise to a lot of bigotry and corruption," said Michael, adding there is simply "no salvation in the system by changing the players around."
President of the Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy, Rickford Burke, agrees, saying during an interview on "Caribbean Views" with Rennie Bishop of New York's WWRL Radio, he has no confidence in the electoral process in Guyana but hopes that voters will not give presidential and legislative authority to one political entity.
And reflecting the optimism of many for a coalition government, added, "The best of possible outcomes is that the electorate will deviate from the status quo anti and give no one party a decisive majority of the seats in the Parliament as well as the Presidency. Under this circumstance, leaders will be forced to work together, on the bases of consensus, to implement policies that can lead to economic and social development. So I think that this election could lay the foundation for shared governance in Guyana."
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