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by Shaun Michael Samaroo
December Issue, Guyana Free Press (Toronto Edition)
ALLIANCE for change? Popular and passionate, a helpless cry rises in protest among young Guyanese, wanting urgent reform - deep change within the nation’s political culture
Elections come next year. And the old habits of the old parties live on – divisive ethnic voting patterns. The incumbent Party, the People’s Progressive Party, and the main Opposition, the People’s National Congress, defend the system as it suits them, it seems, changing rules only to preserve themselves in power
This forms the impression of the young Guyanese today – a disdain apathy towards the political culture that has stifled the glorious talent of a creative and powerful people. The nation from all economic indicators continues to sink. Crime fills the national media with gory stories every day
Corruption and brutality and bad manners and a sickening slide in public morals sink the ship of state into a state of pathetic beggarliness
Along comes two young men with ideals and ideas and plans on how to fix things
They approach their seniors in the ranks into which they had decided to serve, and expressed revolutionary ideas of reforming the dreaded political culture
But, alas, new thought does not find a welcome mat at the doorstep of the Guyana status quo. So the same wall that drives 87 percent of Guyana’s skilled citizens to “better pastures” overseas blocked any progress they planned
But these two young men fight for what they believe in. Raphael Trotman decides to stand on his own independent feet against his political superiors at Congress Place. And as if fate has deemed it time for Guyana to experience a revolution, Khemraj Ramjattan decides to toll some bells at Freedom House
Neither Trotman nor Ramjattan found dancers for their tunes. Instead, they both got unceremoniously kicked out. The unimaginative, uncreative, stifling bureaucratic monster reared its head and sternly rebuked these young reformers for even daring to speak up against the stultifying system
But a nation’s cry rang in the ears of these two young men. So they joined forces, almost two strange bedfellows, and decided to form an Alliance For Change. Finding strong support among the people whose cries they had answered, Trotman and Ramjattan launched the Alliance For Change political party to challenge the old horses at next year’s elections
They have started with gutsy courage, enterprising enthusiasm and lively faith
They believe with passion that they will make a change and steer Guyana into a future of bright hope
Joining them on this mission, a band of likeminded leaders pledged to support them every step of the way. Sheila Holder, a veteran advocate for consumers’ rights in Guyana, and an excellent parliamentarian for another opposition party herself, joined the band that trooped over to the Alliance For Change camp
Holder, Ramjattan and Trotman became household names overnight, largely because they refused to give up their parliamentary seats.
They had won these seats under the banner of the old parties, and those parties wanted back those seats
Trotman gave his up last week. Ramjattan and Holder are holding on to theirs, “for now”
A nation’s destiny lies outside deliberate plans. And Guyana’s destiny may very well have reached a tipping point when Holder, Trotman and Ramjattan found themselves companions on a 36- hour flight from Guyana to Finland. The three ended up together because they “were picked” to represent Guyana at a seminar dealing with parliament and poverty
“We were in the first class section of the plane for a very long flight. And so we ended up talking. And here were three Members of Parliament, from three opposing parties, saying exactly the same thing about Guyana’s problems. We found we were agreeing on what needs to be done,” Holder said
Holder talks with great animation about the Alliance. She believes in its purpose heart and soul
She was on a whirlwind tour of Toronto recently to set up initial contacts for the three of them to officially visit Toronto and spread their message, sometime early next year
She graciously granted an exclusive interview to Guyana Free Press, after Canadian-Guyanese community leader Derek Kowlessar talked to her
Holder said that the Finland trip caused herself, Ramjattan and Trotman to work together, and their alliance on that mission forged them together. They found that their ideas were similar, and they wanted the same things for their nation
“Our aim is for the alliance to bridge the ethnic divide that has afflicted this nation,” Holder said
She said people are responding to the Alliance in its early days with enthusiasm and hope. “The Movement has given people a lot of hope. I believe that we have a realistic chance of winning the elections”
Holder said that “parliament has been dysfunctional” and this system of representation must change
“In parliament, issues are voted on based on party position, not to affect the best interest of the people,” she said
Holder, a staunch member of the Working People’s Alliance before she joined the Alliance For Change, said this is a different time than when Walter Rodney tried to initiate similar changes in Guyana’s political culture. Rodney was killed in a political assassination
“This is a new chance and people recognize that
We have been given a new chance to get our house in order,” she said
The trio believe so much in their mission that they journeyed last month to the US – to meet with noted figures in Washington. They met with the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank, State Department officials and members of the overseas Guyanese community in New York and Washington
“We saw extraordinary success in those meetings,” Holder said
Holder believes that “Guyana as a society is at the point of failure. Crime and corruption pose the biggest problems facing us. We need to see a God-fearing, honest, decent government manage the affairs of the nation,” she said
“It saddens me to see what has become of my country. I have served for 30 years in voluntary work
And I wanted to see the country achieve good things. It breaks my heart to see where we are as a people today”
But Holder refuses to give up. Just like she did under Rodney’s leadership, she has agreed to throw her weight behind the Alliance For Change to heal the gapping wounds crippling a nation that can achieve so much if the right leadership can govern.
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