Dear Editor,
The much anticipated 2011 election has come and gone and as we settle into the post-election reality and try to dissect the results, the aftermath, what has happened, what lessons have been learnt, what has and hasn’t changed, one cannot do so without mentioning the little party with big dreams which thought it really could, the AFC.
The AFC was formed in 2006 by two young revolutionary thinkers of the two old nemeses in Guyana’s political landscape, the PPP and the PNC (now APNU). These two leaders, Raphael Trotman and Khemraj Ramjattan, joined by another notable stalwart, the late Ms Sheila Holder of the WPA, had a dream of a different Guyana, a dream to bridge the racial divide through this new racially multi-polar party going to great lengths to allay fears of ethnic dominance. The AFC even had a model of a rotating presidency ensuring both races were represented at the top.
In the 2006 electoral race, under the leadership of Raphael Trotman, this young party made significant inroads sapping away at the then PNC strongholds in Regions 4 and 10. The AFC gained five seats and a seat at the table. However, for various reasons the PPP held on to their loyal constituency. Clearly, the PPP constituency trusted the PPP ignoring many shortcomings and growing signs of corruption and cronyism. With what they saw as an existential threat, many (mostly Indians) voted for ethnic security which they saw in the PPP as the guarantor. The PNC, on the other hand, was in disarray and their primarily African constituency saw little risk in stepping away, attracted by the charismatic Raphael Trotman. The numbers were just not there to defeat a unified PPP constituency.
Could it be that the success of the AFC in 2006 was attributable to Guyana’s perennial race politics? Some argued that the PNC’s constituency was looking for a new dynamic leader and followed Mr Trotman into the elections. Some can argue that such a shift in the PNC constituency may signal that ethnic security took a back seat or the PNC was not seen as a potent guarantor, after all, the gangs of Buxton and Agricola had been effectively neutralized. Clearly, it must have been known that the new party was even less likely a guarantor of African ethnic security concerns. With the party having a multi-racial leadership, many Indians wondered, hopefully, if Guyana was truly moving away from race politics with our African brethren leading the way.
As the 2011 elections began to loom larger, the political parties began to posture and crank their campaign machinery. At this time, the AFC went through several changes, the most pronounced of which was the rotation of the presidential candidate from Mr Trotman to Mr Ramjattan. As the campaign gathered momentum, the primary target of the AFC and Mr Ramjattan was clearly the PPP/C. With the gang-related crime spree now in the rear-view the talk and focus of the people shifted to white-collar crime, corruption, nepotism and abuse of power. The cries for improved accountability, governance and equity became louder and louder from within the innermost ranks of the PPP itself. For the first time since the days of Walter Rodney there has been a unity of interest and focus among both ethnic groups. Sympathy slowly began to emerge within the Indian camp for the cries of justice and fairness of the African camp.
The word ‘discrimination‘ by the PPP was rolling off the tongues of many notable Indians as it was from the African community. This became the mantra of the AFC and a flagship message of its platform. Even the prominent Moses Nagamootoo who defected from the PPP echoed, in no uncertain terms, the appeals of a Nigel Hughes and others on this topic. The AFC’s relentless attack against the PPP and its top leadership could not be more diametrically different from its approach towards the APNU. The APNU remained out of its sight, out of the airwaves and out of mind while struggle raged between the AFC and the PPP. In its laser focus on the PPP/C, the AFC husbanded its resources to break the back of the PPP in its strongholds. It is clear, without a notable shift in the PPP constituency, no other win would amount to anything. The AFC gambled on breaking the back of the PPP and, by its anti-PPP and anti-discrimination stance, hoped to make further gains in the African community.
The aspirations of the AFC were lofty and they hoped this would break the cycle of race-based voting and address issues and reasoning. To this end the AFC touted its economic plans, its plans for racial harmony and equity, its plans for clean and better governance the likes of which have never been part of the Guyana power equation, its intention to curb excesses and return the wealth to the people. In looking at the Action Plan, it seems clear the AFC was very ambitious and confident in transforming the entire Guyana society on almost all fronts. As the crowds grew and bold defiance of the PPP was evident, the AFC seemed to be set to create unprecedented changes Guyana’s politics. The once confident, arrogant and invincible PPP was now staring at the unthinkable. Through all this, APNU remained in the shadows going about its business unnoticed as they cleverly concocted a slipstream victory. Many notable APNU supporters endorsed and egged on the AFC in its relentless charge against the PPP. Words of caution were swept aside as the AFC grew confident of a possible and realistic victory.
The AFC’s supporters and leadership woke up on November 28 with very high hopes, spirits high from the crowds it pulled at meetings. It became the new shining star in the dark wilderness of Guyana’s predictable race politics, the talk of the town and of the villages. For the first time in a lifetime, the outcome was unpredictable and hopeful, especially among the youths, or so it seemed. However, as the early votes were tallied and results began to trickle in, the reformist, the Indian youth, the leadership of all parties reeled in total shock and awe as the electorate sent a clear message; it remains as divided, as race based and treacherous as ever. The African youths who mobilized around the AFC in 2006 chose this time to rally around the party of their parents, the renamed PNC. The Indian youths this time around chose to step out from under their parents’ ethnic security umbrella just to find themselves facing the cold reality of their worst fears, a return of the PNC. It seemed the only thing that saved the day for the PPP was very last minute change of heart of many voters who seemed on the AFC bandwagon. The hopes and dreams of the AFC youthful constituency were dashed. The Indian voters who defected felt used and tricked into splitting the PPP vote with the hope of an APNU slipstream victory. Conspiracy theories abound. Anxiety, nervousness and suspicion grew in every aspect of the society.
The AFC provided the youth a moment to ponder, to dream, to have hope, hope never felt since the rise of Walter Rodney. The big question today is could this signal the end of the AFC? Would it be a one-hit wonder? This, the only party to produce a minority government.
Some answers we may never know, others we will have to wait for until 2016. One may be tempted to characterize the AFC as a comet, making its first tepid appearance in 2006 gleaming in the distance. In the run-up to the elections, it appeared the AFC cometh. However, 2011 was the year of its true test, its rendezvous with Guyana’s political planet, its closest encounter. Has the AFC made its fly-by to now disappear into the deep void of Guyana‘s treacherous race politics? Given the divisiveness within the Guyana political landscape, and the ensuing emotions and mass distrust after the elections, what is the ability of the AFC to recoup the shine and magic it sparked over the past 5 years? It is now more likely that we will see the AFC as a distant shining star in 2006, a comet which will return some time, maybe when the current infants achieve voting age. However, for now and for some time, the AFC will more likely than not, become a voice in the wilderness.
Whatever the outcome, it’s clear, the gravitational pull of race-based politics is as strong as ever with two potent poles, the PPP and the PNC (now APNU). This gravitational pull seems to have even penetrated the AFC itself as some degree of mistrust and caution have formed within the group itself. It is hard to believe the organization itself is immune to the reality of the nation.
Yours faithfully,
Gautam Naraine
