The 2020 General and Regional Elections saw the emergence of several small parties, namely: A New and United Guyana (ANUG), The New Movement (TNM),the Liberty and Justice Party (LJP), The Citizenship Initiative (TCI), the Organisation for the Victory of the People (OVP), the People’s Republic Party (PRP), Change Guyana, Fed UP party, National Independent Party (NIP) and Guyana National Service Party (GNSP).
But after the elections, many of these parties appeared to have lost their voices. Making this assumption recently was former President David Granger during his show, the Public Interest. According to the Leader of the A Partnership for National Unity +Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), small parties have a role to play in Guyana’s future. But given the fact that small parties have small assets, they cannot survive without a major party like the APNU+AFC. Granger said that he welcomes these parties to join the APNU benab. The APNU Leader insisted that small parties must not “disappear and reappear like jumbie umbrella.”
Expounding further, he said, “There is a future for small parties in Guyana. If I could paraphrase a small quotation, ‘God loves ordinary people that’s why he made so many of them.’ Perhaps God loves small parties that’s why he made so many of them but a small party has limitations…This is a big country and when you start campaigning you realize how expensive it is to get to some destinations…”
Along with the financial element, Granger said that small parties have limitations when they set out to represent one particular ethnic or religious group.
In this regard he said, “…The moment a small party says ‘we are only for Amerindians, we’re only for East Indians, we’re only for Africans, we’re only for Muslims or Hindus or Christians,’ that party can only survive with a larger partner like APNU.”
His reasoning was premised in the fact that the Constitution of the APNU allows for special representation of issues while adding that there is a special protection for indigenous people. “But a party that professes particularism will never be truly nationalistic except that it brings its concerns into a partnership like APNU and that is the mystery of small parties and we appeal to small parties,” the APNU Leader stated.
Following his reflection of the results of the 2020 elections, Granger pointed out that the seven small parties that participated only got about 8000 votes. Granger said he would hate to feel that these citizens are left feeling unrepresented while adding that “the impression is that the parties have gone silent.”
At this point, Granger said small parties should not arise like a “jumbie umbrella” and then disappear. Granger said it is his hope that they remain on the scene while adding that he welcomes them into the APUNU benab.
Pic saved as Granger
