The politics of elections

AFC Vice Chair, Moses Nagamootoo, announced that his party was contemplating a motion of no confidence against the government. The complaint then was that the Minister of Finance violated the law when he spent some $4 billion that was not approved by the National Assembly during the debate of the Estimates. Since then a list of demands has been made. APNU, whose support is necessary for the success of such a motion, later said that it would be discussing the matter and may support it.

The government considered the statement to be a threat. One headline screamed “Do It.” Another thundered, “I Am A Warrior.” It is doubtful that the President would have been speaking about physical combat, sumo wrestling style, with Moses Nagamootoo. But with his recent display of physical fitness, one can never be sure, especially since Moses would be at a distinct disadvantage, not having pictorially demonstrated any accomplishments in physical attributes similar to those of the President! President Ramotar’s testy reaction is surprising in view of the fact that clear hints have already been broadly given by him that new elections are on the agenda for consideration. This is the reason that local government elections are not being held.

Resolving the current political impasse by new elections or other means should be the concern of all political forces and all Guyanese. A suggestion of elections being a way forward, which is the constitutional right of both sides, should not be the occasion for the display of ‘bad man’ politics, which should now be discarded as a feature of Guyana’s politics. It ought to be