Caribbean & Central America - April 2015 (ISSN 1741-4458)

It is now nearly 23 years since the Afro-Guyanese dominated People’s National Congress (PNC) lost power (after a long run of its own dominance, extending to 28 years). Since then, the Indo-Guyanese oriented People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) has monopolized power. The PPP/C is relying on three factors to secure re-election: the demographic supremacy of the Indo-Guyanese; a relatively good economic track record for the outgoing government; and the alleged unsuitability of the PNC for government.

The demographics are solidly against the PNC. Indo-Guyanese make up 43.4% of the population against the Afro-Guyanese’s 30.2% share, with mixed-race Guyanese making up a further 16.7% and the indigenous population 9.1%. On the economic front, International Monetary Fund (IMF) figures point to Guyana growing by 5.44% in 2011 (a year in which the Caribbean as a whole suffered a recession of -3.6%), 4.82% in 2012, 5.22% in 2013, and 3.32% in 2014.

The PPP/C’s argument that the PNC is unsuited for government is based on two pillars. The first is the way it has behaved in the last parliament, when it had a slim one-seat majority that prevented the PPP/C government of President Donald Ramotar from governing effectively. At the start of the election campaign, Ramotar categorized the PNC as “narrow-minded people who seem to believe that they can make things bad in our country and drive us back to the time when we had to line up for a quarter pint of oil…in the hope that it will change their political fortune”.

Then there is the PNC’s record in government, which still resonates even if many in the electorate cannot remember that far back. In a television interview in mid-March, Attorney-General Anil Nandlall reminded the viewers: “You had the PNC in government and you have a track record of 28 years to judge them by. It’s as simple as that. You had economic stagnation. You had bankruptcy. You had a national debt that was uncontrollable. You had the banning of basic food items. You had taking away of democracy from the country. You had the deprivation of freedoms and civil liberties.” He added: “Fast forward to 22 years of the PPP in government and look around at the progress…I can go on to give a litany of data that will make the choice of who to vote for so pellucid and so clear that it boggles the rational mind as to why the voters should be confused.”