Dear Editor,
Guyana’s politics has always been dominated by two racial blocs, each aligned to its own racial party. [PNC is African-based, PPP Indian-based]. Some folks who do commenting on the Stabroek News website will deny this basic fact; and if you do that it makes it impossible to do any analysis that makes sense. Today, PNC can only be led by Africans; PPP by Indians. That together with each having a 90% race-based following makes them racial/ethnic parties. That negates the essence of democracy.
Guyanese people – both major racial groups – have always voted race. And, that basic fact has made for a distortion of democracy. A Washington Post reporter in 1990 told me “You cannot have democracy in a country where people vote strictly race”.
The short-lived AFC had made a breakthrough to change that overwhelmingly racial politics – and did a coalition with the African PNC. The result was deadly – both parties lost their credibility; AFC died a natural death; the other, PNC, is still surviving but badly wounded.
In the 2025 elections, nothing short of magic happened. A young Indian-Guyanese man, Azruddin Mohamed founded the WIN party – and within 3-months ran and won 25% of the vote and is now due to become the LOO, Leader of the Opposition in parliament. Mohamed is the son of a gold-trading merchant – they both used some of their profits to do philanthropy – building houses for the homeless, donating boats, bicycles etc to riverain families. They put together a slapdash manifesto (as is customary in Guyana’s politics) – promising to change Guyanese politics, wiping out corruption by government leaders – and their campaign caught fire, propelling them to a 25% electoral mandate.
This is the key idea: WIN has cut into the African-bloc of votes in a huge way – if it can build on this, then WIN will transform Guyanese politics mightily and permanently. WIN has the potential to end racialized politics in the land. Wait a minute: He has cut only into the African bloc, the Indian bloc remains solid and strong as ever. If you are going to end racialized politics in this land, you have got to cut into the Indian-bloc also. Until that happens, the job is only half-done and temporary.
WIN has a big job ahead of it. Build a solid organization with branches in every district in the land, define its core values (example: fight corruption, agitate for a Fair Deal oil contract, upgrade education and legal systems etc etc). A failure to do these things, and WIN’s base can fizzle out just like the AFC.
Opinion of this writer
(1) The US Extradition Request (ER) was obtained through heavy lobbying by Guyana and the lobbying firm hired in the US.
Indictments and the ER came after the elections, not before. They were the direct result of the lobbying project. The apex court may want to look at how the ER was obtained; also what exactly does the Extradition Treaty say? Should small country Guyana clear-the-deck and take a stand-down position and rally for extradition? What does this make of Guyana’s court system as well as Guyana’s Sovereignty? I am not optimistic that the apex court will rule for extradition.
(2) There is a better than 50% chance President Trump will withdraw the ER.
I say no more at this time