It is clear that ethnicity remains a major reason for voting in our multi-racial society. What the voters have done cannot be considered wrong, given the fact that they have exercised their fundamental right, guaranteed in the UN Universal Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 147 of the Guyana Consti-tution, which protects the right to self determination through freedom of association.
Dear Editor,
Going by Gecom’s publication of the results of the National and Regional Elections one element that stands out is that the majority of the electorate has leaned heavily in favour of the candidate based on their ethnic identity. It is clear that ethnicity remains a major reason for voting in our multi-racial society. What the voters have done cannot be considered wrong, given the fact that they have exercised their fundamental right, guaranteed in the UN Universal Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and Article 147 of the Guyana Consti-tution, which protects the right to self determination through freedom of association.
What however remains a burning issue, which this nation must forthwith frontally address, is the political predisposition to deny others what’s rightly theirs because they do not hold the reins of executive power. Another issue we face in our divisive politics is that while the conflicts are more manifest between Africans and Indians, the right of other ethnic groups to aspire to the country’s highest office by virtue of the constitution which protects this aspiration, has either been ignored or treated with contempt through constant imposition in various forms.
No race has a monopoly on governance in a multiracial society, be it the major race or the minor of minors. And this must be reflected in the day-to-day management of this country. Governance is the day-to-day management of the business of all the people and has to be considered as a major factor in the determination of the results, since the results can be interpreted as a strong signal by the electorate regarding whom they have confidence in to represent their interest.
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