The Big Political Problem in the Country of Guyana
Introduction
Guyana is a country located in the north of South America. The politics of the country has been a source of controversy ever since the country conducted its first constitutional elections in 1992 (Taysum and Vadna 24). According to the country’s constitution, the president is the head of the government and exercise executive power. The legislative power of the nation is vested in both the National Assembly of Guyana and the president. The judiciary system is independent of both the legislature and the executive. Although Guyana has an appropriate constitution in place, the country major political problem remains to lack of democracy. Specifically, lack of democracy has contributed to the current political stalemate evident in the country, human right abuse and the ethnic divisions.
Democracy in Guyana
The politics of Guyana is characterized by lack of democracy which has contributed to the various political statements experienced in the country. Although Guyana has put in place a proper constitution and effective governance structure, the political leaders in the country have failed to observe democracy. The failure to observe democracy has been the leading cause for the political stalemate, human riot violation and ethnic divisions. Historically, politics has been a major source of the conflicts and tension in Guyana (Taysum and Vadna 37). In the majority of the country’s elections, violent riots have erupted. Many of these conflicts are based on ethnic divisions that largely affect the voting pattern in the country.
The current political statement due to the disputed presidential election is an indication of the weak democracy in the country. Last Guyana’s presidential elections conducted on March 2, 2020, attracted the attention of many countries due to the claims of rigging and voting anomalies (Vasciannie 131). Since the March 2020 presidential election, there have been several allegations of fraud and vote-rigging which eventually lead to the vote recount. Although the recount of the vote shows a narrow victory for the opposition, the ruling coalition has denied the facts and failed to step down to allow for re-election. All these points to the facts that Guyana lacks an appropriate governance structure that promotes democracy. Essentially, the political intuitions and systems in the country are weak paving the way for undemocratic practices such as corruption, human riots violation and vote-rigging (Vasciannie 135). These undemocratic practices are the primary source of the political statement that the country is currently experiencing.
The other resulting political problem caused by the lack of democracy is the ethnic division in Guyana’s political landscape. In Guyana, ideology and race are the dominant factors that influence politics in the country. Since 1955 when there was a split of the multiracial PPP, the politics of the country has been based on ethnicity as opposed to ideology (Vasciannie 142). This implies that one ethnic group can dominate the country’s politics once their member is elected as the head of state. Typically, the elected government of Guyana often seems to favour people supporting its policies. This is against democracy which requires that the government should offer equal opportunities to all its citizens irrespective of their demographic backgrounds and political affiliations. The issue of ethnic voting patterns is one of the major causes for the political conflicts and stalemate witnessed in the country different political supporters fight each other to claim power.
In order to address the current political stalemate in Guyana, it is important to come up with appropriate solutions. One of the solutions is to change the current constitution to focus on addressing the unique challenges in the country. The constitution should include the policies and framework that supports strong institutions to promote democracy in the country. As an example, the constitution can strengthen the electoral system and leads to a reduction of the rampant voting rigging in the country. Although the change of constitution can ensure the improvement of the level of democracy, it can be difficult to achieve due to the high cost of the process. (Taysum and Vadna 43) Another possible solution is to engage in the political awareness campaign in the country to educate citizens on their voting rights. Although this solution is practical, it can be challenging since the ethnic divisions are perpetrated by the administrative politics evident in the country.
Conclusion
Based on the analysis of the current political problem, it is evident that lack of democracy is the major hindrances to the achievement of the desired political objectives. The country’s elections have been riddled by causes of massive voting rigging, corruption and fraud leading to political conflicts and stalemate. As a result, the country must initiate a political reform to ensure that democracy prevails in the country. Achieving the political reforms should start by the crafting of new constitutions to accommodate policies that encourage strong government institutions to support democracy. Both the ruling and opposition parties should work together in formulating new constitutions to facilitate political reforms and promote democracy. In summary, the changes in constitutions and the political reforms can ensure high levels of democracy where the government and the leaders are held accountable for their actions.
Works Cited
Taysum, Alison, and Vadna Murrel Abery. “Shifts in education policy, administration and governance in Guyana 1831–2017. Seeking ‘a political’agenda for equity and renewal.” Italian Journal of Sociology of Education 9.2 (2017).
Vasciannie, Lisa Ann. “Electoral Politics in Guyana.” International Election Observation in the Commonwealth Caribbean. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham, 2018. 129-154.