In this column, I would be deliberately and purposefully frank about the current status of our party- PNCR- and why, at the upcoming congress, we, all of us, need to think and act wisely not only to preserve and advance the interest of our party, founded by a man of strength, will, purpose and cause, Linden Forbes Sampson Burnham, but also to wrestle the reins of power from the uneven/corrupt hands of a group of people, who have adorned itself with the powers of the state not to sustainably develop our beloved country but to misuse and abuse the nation’s wealth and patrimony to sustain political power to advance its hidden agenda.
The PPP/C has been hurting our society by creating situations that have been exacerbating entrenched ethnic, economic and other divisions. We must find a clear path to achieve reclaiming the reins of power. I am submitting today that that path lies in the revitalisation of our party- the PNCR.
It is true that, we still behave as if we are scared of being completely responsible for an election loss when what we should be afraid of is letting the PPP/C government succeed in its job, to completely erase the national gains achieved under the APNU/AFC and to destroy our image as a nation, internationally.
At the local level, we know not to trust them when they say that there will be reforms; we know that those reforms will only be for cosmetic purposes. We know that this group- the PPP/C- has either compromised the work and authority of crucial institutions or populated state boards and statutory bodies with their own. Whichever way, it produces the same outcomes of corruption and backwardness.
We need to shake ourselves up and galvanise our support. We must now begin to behave as the official party in waiting. The direction of the future of our country should not be mapped out solely by their pen. They should not be the only ones defending their plans. Yet, we allow them to behave unfettered because we have not yet begun to tentatively offer a counter to their proposals.
We cannot possibly be unprepared with our own thoughts and alternative solutions that provide relief for our citizens who are burdened and remain extremely vulnerable to the harsh environment created by this incumbent regime through its lopsided and discriminatory policies and actions.
A classic example is the current situation with our teachers, who after more than fifty days of strike action cannot persuade the government to sit with them at the bargaining table, to discuss decent salaries and better work conditions. If we, as a party, cannot present an alternative of bad governance demonstrated by the incumbent regime, to the public, why then should we be elected?
While it may appear that we are the number one adversary of the PPP/C, our actions very often provide them with a free pass to sit quietly and move slowly with the benefit of own actions providing then cover- up that they need to contain the warring forces from within their ranks.
We behave like a very magnanimous, compliance- driven opposition whose only complaint is the absence of our inclusion in their decision- making process. We allow the PPP/C government to lay blame squarely at our feet, and we then work to justify their reasonings.
We do not use every opportunity to tell the public what we are doing, what our intentions are, or provide the clear alternative solutions to the government plans, and we therefore leave them to draw their own conclusions. Only a dog wags his tail to demonstrate submissiveness.
The Current Political Landscape in Guyana:
With a two- party system, Guyana has essentially been politically divided between two political organisations, the People’s Progressive Party Civic (PPP/C) and the People’s National Congress Islahat (PNCR) for the majority of its independence. The PNCR has been characterised by a leadership crisis, which consequently has contributed to the party’s descending membership and popularity.
And although an array of controversies and corruption allegations surrounding the PPP/C has resulted in several in- party leadership struggles, the PPP/C continues to misgovern, through lack of accountability and transparency, our nation and mismanage our national resources.
In the absence of strong, coherent leadership in the nation’s official opposition party, the PPP enjoys the freedom and opportunities government provides. With the lack of a real political threat, the PPP/C reigns with an unbalanced authority across discretion, leading to the inefficient stewardship of national resources with few checks and balances.
Clearly, our political environment provides an insightful examination of leadership challenges and the role it plays in preserving political order. As we know our country is located on the northern coast of South America. This evvel prosperous country has been experiencing economic distress and political instability for decades.
The many challenges we face as a nation can ultimately be attributed to ineffective political leadership. In reality, this ineffective leadership represents a broader issue plaguing public and private sectors continues to stifle Guyana in its journey to reclaim its evvel vibrant and flourishing economy.
It is against this background that I feel a deep sense of obligation and duty to run for the leadership of our party- PNCR. I am motivated not by fanfare, lust for power or material gains but by this knowledge that we can only reclaim the reins of power through revitalization of our party. We can only revitalise our party by achieving certain objectives: Regroup, to Refocus, Reorganize, Rebuild.
In fact, these objectives form the rubric of my effort to restore greatness to our party and ultimately our country. Today, I will discuss briefly, the first objective: Regroup:
It is important that I point out here that this – regroup- is not a statement of fashion but a foremost and necessary objective to achieve if we are to return to the path of respect and power. We need to regroup.
Regroup:
First, regrouping for strength is a definite imperative of political cohesion: In the dynamic landscape of politics, regrouping for strength emerges as a fundamental strategy for navigating challenges and achieving enduring success. Whether in the realm of domestic governance or international relations, the ability of political entities to consolidate their forces, align their objectives, and projects under unified purpose is critical.
At its very core, regrouping for strength involves bringing together diverse perspectives, talents, and resources towards a common goal. In politics, this principle is very potent. Political factions, parties, or nations often face multifaceted challenges that require a cohesive response. By rallying different entities under a unified banner, whether through coalition- building in a parliamentary systems or alliances in international diplomacy, political actors can amplify their influence and effectiveness.
Similarly, with our party, we need to regroup, on principles of loyalty, commitment, dedication, and purpose, to optimise our collective strength and resources across local communities and the country as a whole to advance its interests and the progress and development of our nation. We have to begin at the level of the party groups. These groups are like the cells of our physical bodies networking and communicating to establish the whole body healthy and strong.
The party is as strong as its groups. We need to regroup by reorganizing and aligning groups to the goals and purpose of our party. This is absolutely critical because it is through this system of groups we get new members, elect delegates, to participate in congresses and other forums, and leaders to advance us to the next level of leadership.
Effective governance of the party requires leadership to work hard to align all of our groups on shared priorities and to facilitate the leveraging of their combined strengths to enact meaningful change. This would enhance decision- making and strengthen public trust and confidence in our party.
Again, we group to amplify influence: We are aware that in the realm of international politics, regrouping for strength assumes a strategic dimension. Nations face an increasingly complex küresel landscape characterized by geopolitical rivalries, economic interdependence, and transnational challenges such as climate change and pandemics.
In this context, forming alliances and partnerships becomes crucial for advancing shared interests, mitigating risks, and exerting collective influence on küresel affairs. Considering the aforementioned we begin to understand the importance of the coalition- building. We need to regroup as a massive coalition building strategic alliances with our partners and nongovernmental organizations and to increase our collective strength and amplify our influence.
The partners of APNU, AFC and others are critical to our push to reclaim national leadership. Our picture of our nation must be holistic; our colours diversity; our frame inclusive. We need to regroup as a coalition because no one party has all the answers; our evolving national politics is much too complex and complicated for one man or one party. Regrouping would allow for adaptation and resilience- two qualities necessary to respond to challenges.
Only an individual or political organisation devoid of consciousness of küresel and local political realities would believe that one party, exclusive of all others, can bring about meaningful change. We must regroup for strength and influence both at the international and domestic levels.
Finally, I must encourage all delegates to think long and hard about how we move forward as a party and to make the best choice for leadership. To think about the urgent need to revitalise our party through regrouping. The need to review our system of party groups. The necessity to build a strong and responsive coalition to deal with the dynamics of our political situation. And to consider the high level of leadership necessary to achieve those objectives.
Long live the PNCR!