On the one hand, the PPP attracted several folks with good multi-ethnic credentials. These include Mr. Peter Ramsaroop, Mr. Clinton Urling and Ms. Elisabeth Harper, the Prime Ministerial candidate. It doesn’t matter whether you agree or disagree with their politics, folks like Urling and Ramsaroop could appeal to a fraction of young professionals who are embarking on a career or might have just become a property owner. In an ethnically divided electorate, every small fraction counts. It is therefore not wise to curse them down on Facebook or elsewhere. Urling and Ramsaroop could also encourage some mixed voters to vote for the PPP or stay with the PPP. About 20% of the population self-identifies as mixed. To put this into context, Amerindians make up approximately 10% of the population.
On the other hand, the PPP is pursuing the most explicitly race-based election campaign since 1992. This strategy involves stoking the fears of East Indians by reminding them of perceived wrongs committed by the African dominated PNC. Mr. Jagdeo is charged with the strategy of terrifying East Indians into submission. Proxy groups associated with Guyana Times and Guyana Chronicle are also responsible for promoting the strategy of fear and insecurity. Jagdeo’s comments of African army officers kicking down the doors of PPP supporters (mainly Indians attended Babu Jaan) is the latest in a series of
