Dear Editor,
It is bandied about that the ‘swing vote’ could be the difference maker, the clincher in an ethnically hazy (at least numerically) elections. Some see this swing vote as one dimensional. The situation, I think, is much more fluid and involved.
To begin with, almost everybody agrees that the Amerindian vote is a game changer. This bloc of voters is statistically meaningful, given the major ethnic realities; and it is available and exploitable. But I see other swing voting blocs, some smaller, some larger, and all fairly significant.
There is the youth vote that is also known for its potentially formidable presence.
This is a swing vote in its own right, if there is broad-based exercise of the franchise, come Monday, May 11th. To restate the obvious, this bloc counts only if its members turn up in numbers to vote. It should be noted that the swing voting blocs identified are not mutually exclusive, but overlap and converge from different points.
Third, there is the younger, educated Indian voting bloc (arguably non-traditional, non-ideological, and non-conservative) that can be a catalyst for change, a wide channel for the voting articulation of a different posture, and a readiness to embrace, with the confidence of youth, a new breakaway vision. What will it be: voting, abstaining, or deciding and hoping? May 12th will tell.
Fourth, there is a black swing voting bloc; like the younger Indian bloc, it is a subset. This would be the not insignificant figure of black folks who have flourished (some illegitimately, others from willingness to do dirty jobs, and still others who revel in the role of tokens) under the present regime. This publicly unrecognized group could swing either tribally; or for continued feathering of their nests by standing for the status quo. This band can be a marginal swing contributor; it should not be dismissed out-of-hand.
Last, there is the aggregated swing voting bloc that originates from the ‘bottom-house’ polling stations, where opportunity for unobserved and unmanaged mischief is greater; and is developed as circumstances unfold and demand. The election clock might tell accurate time. At the end of the day, if undetected and unchallenged, this is also a swing voting bloc; smaller than most, but still present and counted.
When all of this is considered, it is enough to bring about what is called “eye turn” in Guyana. Time will tell how the wind blows and the votes swing.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall
