Dear Editor,
Recently, Mr Abu Bakr expressed concerns about former members of ROAR infiltrating the AFC, ‘corrupting’ and ‘adulterating its ideas (Have the ex-ROAR members of the AFC influenced its thinking?’ SN, February 5). He sought to make the party an African party by stressing his need to “reiterate” (to Indians) that mostly Africans voted for the AFC. He then ignores the constitution and argues that these ex-ROAR members must first comply with a condition in order to exercise their right to associate. That is, they must first disclose whether they “genuinely changed their views.”
It is disturbing to read such archaic views in a national newspaper. As I understand it, all Guyanese still have a constitutional right to free political speech and political participation. And so it will be. But over the past decade of Guyana’s political history, no one has been associated by the public with political extremism more than the PNC and PPP. One half of the population links the PPP with the ‘phantom’ and the other half of the people associates the PNC with the Buxton-based gunmen and electoral disturbances.
Interestingly, this writer is not even fair with his own brand of democracy. He is yet to ask ex-PPP members who are not African and ex-PNC members who are not Indian whether they gave up their ‘corrupt’ ideas before joining the AFC. Instead, he directs at Indians the sentiment that since mostly Africans voted for the AFC, the AFC is an African party. Much can be said about this. But for now it may be best to say that this is unwarranted rhetoric that will only breed disunity.
Clearly, Mr Bakr is more likely to ‘corrupt’ the AFC than the ex-members of ROAR who, incidentally, have raw political experience to offer such as voter reform amongst PPP supporters.
In recent times, no political group outside of ROAR and GIHA has attempted voter reform amongst the tough crowd of traditional PPP supporters.
This critical work which has gone unnoticed and uncelebrated was done primarily on shoestring budgets by people who stuck to the task, abuse and all.
Unfortunately, whatever goodwill emerged, especially since Indians were very disenchanted with the PPP, was squandered by the AFC, which was in a position to capitalize on these voters. But the AFC simply did not articulate the primary interest of Indian voters and as such, did not deserve their votes. Voters do not operate in a vacuum. They notice these things. Reading the thoughts from this writer in your newspaper, perhaps in retrospect the AFC’s silence was not coincidental. Or perhaps it was simply an error in growth.
Yours faithfully,
Rakesh Rampertab
