The PPP rumor mill is beginning to grease itself and retool for the upcoming elections. No doubt the United Republican Party (URP) is clearly in their sights. I have received several calls from prominent PPP executives, who think that what my party is doing is going to “split” the PPP votes. What they really mean – whenever they talk about “splitting” – is that because I am Indian, fellow Indians will vote for my party and that will weaken the PPP’s chances of winning.
I have always seen this race-baiting and ethnic-appealing, as a vile, racist, bigoted approach to local politics. Guyana has never been a country whose electorate has ever voted based purely on issues. We have been dogged by the scourge of racial and ethnic tensions for as many years. And even thought we see that it has damaged us and our children and that it continues to hamstring us and our future, it seems that our politicians will never let up.
So I was not the least surprised when the PPP sent out that fake email, purporting it to have come from the current Minister of Legal Affairs and Attorney General, Basil Williams. In that email the PPP claimed that the URP is working for the Government to win Indian votes to the Coalition. The PPP is known for their rumor mongering and their subtle and blatant racist rants and attacks. These are old strategies that have worked for them for many years. However, with the changing demographics of Guyana, those approaches are becoming worn out.
The URP was around since 1985. We were approached by many folks to join the now tattering APNU. We refused because we knew that the PNC would stifle the smaller parties and continue in their old PNC-ways. So we opted to not join the APNU and to go it ourselves. We were the only party other than the larger two, to contest the National and Regional Elections, in every Region, in the 2015 elections. None of the current parties that now make up the APNU was able to do that.
So we know that the PPP and the Coalition have long have their eye on us. They suspect that folks are looking at us and they are agreeing with what we stand for. For many years the country has been in the wicked grip of racial tension and backwards political ideologies. And we challenge those old statuesque. They are beginning to be concerned that if sufficient Guyanese awake to the political realities in Guyana, the URP can etch out some of their support and win some seats in the Parliament. This of course would mess up the balance of power between the two parties that have long strangled the Guyanese people. So they are beginning their mudslinging.
Well, we welcome it. This letter is not designed to complain. We are just amused and thankful to God, that after these many years in the political arena, we are making the kind of progress to attract the ire of the larger parties. It was Mahatma Gandhi who said: First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win. The URP is bracing for the fight. Bring it on!