OPINION: Census results: what do they say, could they be shared?

Last Updated on Monday, 30 September 2024, 21:00 by Writer

By GHK Lall

All three major parties are driving their stake in the ground from today. They are going to win the elections coming up in 2025. Looks like it is going to be that kind of election season – a torrid one. More considerate in the first quarter, since the fourth quarter is now so unbearably heated. The key resides in the numbers, which is where things have gotten a shade backed up. The census, what is happening there? If it was favorable to we know who, a gag order couldn’t keep silent. Why then is there this question about the census two years later? What does this say about the big people being so torn about the census results that they sit on them as if their life hinged on doing so. Political life, to make things clear, which in Guyana is dearer than regular life. Uncharacteristic is what I say with this delay. If, however, there is that telling reason for foot-dragging by the political wise guys with all at their fingertips, then the whole story is less a mystery and more about the pragmatism of basic commonsense.

There is the sense in this corner of the ring that the demographics are closer between the major ethnicities. In a word, migration is a big contributor, the biggest. In a string of words, the narrowing of the population composition between Guyanese of Indian descent and Guyanese of African descent (the hope is that that has been hit plum on the head) because of uninterrupted migration by the thousands for years. Focusing on the good ole USA alone, and a reasonably sizable dent in one particular ethnicity is believed to have occurred when this is added up. No Guyanese is heading in the direction of Caracas, but the opposite still happens towards Toronto and Paramaribo, and other parts. From an empirical perspective, almost all the ethnicities try their hand for greener pastures elsewhere. As good as things are and considering who are the kings of the local castle, it is a matter of ongoing domestic conversation that the people of the political party in power are the ones in the front ranks of the exodus to external shores. Though there may be some risk of underestimation, things are ‘ruff’and ‘tuff’ for those traditionally aligned with the now opposition, but their presence in the dark tide of emigration ranks lesser on all scales. The smart money (meaning here) says that inroads of a not insignificant nature have been made into the ruling party’s percentage of supporters. The take in this neighborhood is that this explains the ongoing resistance to remove the veil and let the census numbers shine through. What mischief could be afoot through withholding them? What value gained, other than spur the competition to greater conviction that there are intentions to lay the groundwork for new electoral experimentation and adventurism. Ill-advised, it may be squeezed in, given the air of rawness that already graces next year’s much-anticipated and much-watched proceedings.

Note has been made of the two opposition parties stoutly asserting their confidence to get across the finish line ahead of the pack and, rather staggeringly, on their own. What do they know that nobody else does? The old US was hung up on inclusivity, equity in distribution, and clean governance. The people running the show today haven’t done too well on all three counts. More caustically, they have done rather poorly. A point of consideration around here is how much is the United States exercised about corruption in Guyana. Corruption is so bad that even the grandmothers of the more rollicking participants in that national sport [corruption] would be forced to admit sheepishly that their own have helped themselves. Corruption at high levels, with a meager few untainted, and across the 83,000 square tablel and with more financial criminals than wedding house and supermarket ones, is where both knowing locals and all-seeing foreigners are parked. Buying stuff (procurement). Selling arrangements (self for a price, services with ribbons). Barter deals (quid pro quo). Seed money (incentives). Vulture capital (political rewards). All those are highfliers, quite the public secret in Guyana. The old America was vocal, the new America seems to prefer not to be so local. When the not-so-new chief official resident from DC is seen and heard, a WhatsApp would be hospitably received. Nobaady sayin diddly squat.

In addition to census numbers tightening, and corruption as the other Achilles heel in what is a four-legged, upright walking beast, loss of respect is another, with the disappearance of trust bringing up the rear. According to the expert prognosticators, Guyana is delicately perched, and any little disruption in the atmosphere could be impactful. This is not conducive to the type of tranquil climate that one domestic big dawg favors. From a pure numerical perspective, ballot box realities went from razor-thin to razor grass. Anyone in the vicinity gets slashed. Franchisees have already been conditioned about bloated lists and bad behaviors during the last bout of fisticuffs in 2020. Forewarned is forearmed. He who falls for the same tricks a second time deserves to be in the runners-up enclosure. Silver doesn’t mean, argh, spit. With the latest census believed to be where it is, and all the other factors (internal and external), is the ground set for a joint handshake come 2025? Pick any month but be assured of this one thing. Five more years of demagoguery, waiting for a handout, being kicked around, and treated any old how do not inspire as such a democratic proposition any longer. Nor an acceptable environmental and social condition going forward.