Disunity among opposition parties created the ideal circumstances for supporters to now rally around the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), says Alliance for Change (AFC) Executive Member, Dr David Hinds.
During his recent live “Politics 101” programme and in his usual style, the professor was very vocal about opposition supporters who are now within the bosom of the PPP/C and publicly announcing allegiance ahead of the 2023 Local Government Elections slated from June 12.
Dr Hinds holds the view that had there been unity among the opposition factions, supporters could not have crossed over. While he noted that not much will be affected by these changes, he was keen to point out that perception is important.
“If we were holding one head as a community and if we were holding one head as an Opposition, it would have been difficult for them to go over. I don’t think that (crossovers) will make a difference in the final outcome, but optics in politics are sometimes important,” he underscored.
The WPA member went on to bash opposition supporters for not doing enough to stop these crossovers. He said that rather than calling these persons derogatory names like “Houseslaves”, it would have been better to speak out about the current LGE rigging attempts as claimed by the main parliamentary opposition’s point-man at the Guyana Elections Commission, Vincent Alexander.
While he said he wants himself and his party “left out” of the LGE rigging debate, he has agreed with Alexander that some 900 joint service members will be disenfranchised.
In fact, the WPA member said that he knows for a fact that moves are being made by the PPP/C to thwart the will of the people. As for the blatant attempts made by the past A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance for Change (APNU+AFC) to rig the March 2020 poll, the professor declared that “all parties around the world attempt to rig elections”.
“They were not the first…The PPP attempted to rig the elections in 2011,” Dr Hinds said.
Dr Hinds’ party was part of the ruling APNU+AFC between 2015 and 2020. It parted ways with the coalition after it lost those elections, citing the larger People’s National Congress Reform (PNCR)’s alleged propensity to steamroll its members.
He added that the opposition and its supporters need to do more to stop crossovers. He said that supports need to stop being “lickerish” and tempted from joining the PPP/C. He further added that supporters are “too quiet” and must therefore take action via protests and letters to the press.
“Y’all are too damn quiet. You can still campaign and protest,” he urged.