One people, One nation, One destiny
on Fiona Craven (Guyana), 29/Nov/2011 00:26, 34 days ago
2011 has been significant inIrelandfor general and presidential elections. And inGuyanatoday, this country went to the polls to cast their votes in a general election. Politics in any country is complicated, andGuyanais no exception. Traditionally there has been a socialist government, and the current government has been in power for the last 19 years, with President Bharrat Jagdeo being in power since 1999. As international volunteers with VSO, we have been advised to refrain from becoming involved in political activities or debates. However chatting with colleagues and taxi drivers, one gets the feeling that people are anxious for change, with widespread claims of government corruption.In today’s elections, people cast their vote for a president that represents a political party. There are a number of political parties inGuyana, with three parties being the most dominant in the lead up to this election. In many ways, the lead up to the elections has been similar to those at home (lots of party rhetoric and“dissing” of opposition members). In other ways there are differences. All the political parties have a symbol on their posters for identification at the ballot box, a reminder of the high rates of illiteracy inGuyana. The current government party has massively dominated the lampposts, roadsides and radio with their glossy posters and catchy songs. There is also an obvious presence of international observers (mainly from theUS) monitoring the fairness of the elections.Here’s a brief intro to the three main parties:PPP/C: The People’s Progressive Party/Civic (“Working together for a better tomorrow”) has been in power for the last 19 yearsTheir symbol is a cup.APNU: A Partnership for National Unity (“A good life for all Guyanese”) is a newly formed party that has drawn leadership from a number of previous political parties inGuyana. They have the symbol of a hand.AFC: TheAlliancefor Change (“Unlocking Guyana’s Future”) was formed with members from various opposition parties and has the symbol of a key.In a country of many different ethnicities, it's not surprising that historically many people voted along racial lines. However, people report that this is less of an issue now, although the PPP/C is traditionally the party of the IndoGuyanese, while some of the previous parties that combined to make up the APNU appeal to the AfroGuyanese voters. Specific policies for each party are hard to find, but generally revolve around taxes, road infrastructure, environmental policies and all round general improvement for the nation ofGuyana.In a country with a history of often corrupt and violent elections, we hope and pray for a fair election and peaceful days ahead.Normal0falsefalsefalseEN-USX-NONEX-NONEMicrosoftInternetExplorer4/* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}Here’s a link to a column in a local paper. It’s a tongue in cheek piece written in the local Creolese that discusses the election.http://www.kaieteurnewsonline.com/2011/11/28/dem-boys-seh-hit-da-road-rat/