One People, One Nation, One Destiny
- Michelle D
- Dec 28, 2020
- 4 min read
Among the earliest settlers in Guyana were groups of Arawak, Carib, and possibly Warao. The Dutch initially began settlement in Guyana by establishing trading posts around the 1850's. In the mid 17th century, the Dutch had begun importing slaves from West Africa to cultivate sugarcane. Later, under French occupation Georgetown (then named Longchamps) was established. The Dutch eventually renamed it Starbroek and continued to develop it. In 1796, the British took over and remained in possession until 1814. At that time, they purchased Demerara, Berbice, and Essequibo. Later, Guyana would be under British control in the late 18th century. It was during the time that Guyana was governed as "British Guiana'. The mostly plantation-style economy lasted until the 1950's. Guyana officially gained independence in 1966.
Following the abolition of slavery, there were approximately 100,000 slaves throughout Berbice, Demerara, and Essequibo. After emancipation in 1839, black freedmen left plantations. It was along the coastal plain where they established their own settlements. Approximately 238,939 Indian immigrants were taken to Guyana between 1830-1917. They were to be indentured labourers. The indentured labour system was used as a means of restoring control that was exercised under the slave system. The new labour system would enable plantation owners to keep plantation wages down and reduce operational costs.
This created conflict with the newly free slaves, whose opportunities to earn a living were undercut by the very low wages paid to the indentured labourers. This became the beginning of what has now become a longstanding divide in Guyana. In addition to this, what became of the Guyanese political climate further divided the people of Guyana. A division that was prominent in the Guyana 2020 Presidential election. Between 1953 and 1966, the political history of Guyana was murky. The People's Progressive Party (PPP) which was led by Cheddi Jagan was the first modern political party within Guyana. The PPP won majority of seats within the House of Assembly and Cheddi Jagan become Guyana's first prime minister. Jagan's program of radical socioeconomic reforms and strikes/demonstrations encouraged by his party, led the British to suspend the constitution in 1953. The PPP divided the country. Jagan's PPP lead a predominantely South Asian party and the People's National Congress (PNC), a party led by Forbes Burnham lead a party of African descendants. This further drove then rift between both ethnic groups in Guyana. Between 1961 and 1964, there was severe rioting between Afro-Guyanese and South Asian groups in Guyana. Guyana would go on to struggle with ethnic tensions and periodic episodes of political unrest.
Guyanese Electoral System
There are 65 elected members of the National Assembly. These members were elected by utilizing a closed list proportional representation from a single nationwide 40 seat constituency and 10 sub-national constituencies with a total of 25 seats using the Hare quote. The leader of the single party or coalition which emerges with the largest number of seats in the election will become the President of Guyana. (Union)
In 2015, the discovery of an oil field in offshore waters raised political stakes. By the end of 2020, another 17 field were found. This discovery will have massive impacts of the Guyanese economy. The 2020 election was expected to be one of the most significant due to the discovery of oil which, according to Exxonmobil, could produce 750,00 barrels of oil per day. Increasing GDP and opportunities for development. The 2020 Guyana Election was thrown into a political crisis after the results were questioned by allegations of vote-rigging and fraud. The recount was lengthy, and only increased tensions between the people of Guyana. An observations report by Guyana's chief elections official stated that approximately 115,00 of the 400,000 votes cast should be invalidated and that deceased were registered as having voted. The US secretary of state, Mike Pompeo urged the government of Guyana to perform the recount and threatened punitive measures on the country. The 100 day long recount followed and revealed the PP to have been the winner. The APNU-AFC challenged these results and for five months, Granger would not hand over power. In response to international pressure, he stepped aside and Mohamed Irfaan Ali of the People's Progressive Party, became president.
This election proved that the impacts of colonization still haunt Guyana today. The persistent ethnic divide continues to plague the country. If there's anything we can do, it is to remember: One People, One Nation, One Destiny. Though Guyana has such a diverse population at the end of it all, we're all still Guyanese. We come in different shapes and sizes, but it doesn't take away the essence of who we are and who we came from. Brilliant. Resilient. To me, that is what it means to be Guyanese. Growing up, there was no mention of the racial divide in Guyana. There was no separation. I grew up listening to soca, chutney, dancehall, and reggae. My family embraced both the South Asian and African influences on Guyanese culture. I was brought up to judge people not on their skin colour, but the content of their character. Which is why the ethnic divide continues to disappoint me. There is no "better" Guyanese. In fact, Guyanese culture is what it is because of both ethnic influences. Two distinct cultures amongst others, blended beautifully to create a diverse, rich cultural history.
Guyana may have a troubled past, but I remain hopeful for it's future.
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