Dear Editor,
A New and United Guyana (ANUG) thanks the Carter Center for its studied assurances that the electoral process for the 2nd March 2020 national and regional elections appears to be on track. We also hope that the entire process will run smoothly and its aftermath will be peaceful and acceptable to all Guyanese. We recognise too, the Center’s decades- long association with Guyana and the sensible advice that has flowed from it to a political elite that has been too myopic and selfish to understand disinterested wisdom when it is delivered.
The Center’s strong encouragement to Guyanese “political leaders, parties, and civil society to: debate issues around constitutional reform and more inclusive governance during the campaign; ….commit to quickly taking up this critical issue in the post-election period; completing constitutional reform in a time-bound period well before the next general elections; … reform of the ‘winner-take-all’ election system currently in use” is at the core of ANUG’s vision, which is ‘The existence of consensual, shared governance in a democratic political system in Guyana where all social groups are proportionally represented and political leaders are accountable to the electorate’ (ANUG Manifesto, 2020).
It is the frustration with a national leadership who is unable to recognise that Guyana needs immediate constitutional reform to establish a consensual regime that led to the formation of ANUG. As stated in our manifesto, we too recognise that ‘The winner takes all system is not effective: it never has been. It results in retarded, economic and political development. In the interest of development ANUG want all political leaders to work together in the interest of the electorate.’
ANUG’s political stance is realistic, unique and revolutionary. Given our history of ethnic voting, ANUG does not expect to win the upcoming elections but believes that there are in the electorate sufficient numbers of right-thinking people for the party to garner sufficient seats to prevent a majority government and thus force a system of constitutional reform. Uniquely, that reform will most likely not result in the ascendency of ANUG but in an equitable system of Government largely dominated by the present larger parties, but within which women, youths and the indigenous people will be assured of equitable participation. In this manner, ANUG is revolutionary for it ‘will set about establishing (to be completed within a period of 18 months after the elections) the most consensual, participatory, inclusive, transparently democratic regime in the history of Guyana and even the Caribbean.’
We wish the Carter Center well and hope that its endeavours with enure to the benefit of all Guyanese.
Yours faithfully,
Ralph Ramkarran
Presidential Candidate
A New and United Guyana
