We feel it necessary to reiterate those concerns in the context of reports from Guyana about the rumours of coups or armed uprisings circulating in that country. We fear that a deteriorating Guyanese environment could lead to a worsening of the racial divide and even bloodshed.

Indeed, issues in Guyana are hardly ever straightforward or simple. The matters of politics and race tend to make them even more complex. Add to this, crime and a multitude of other real or imaged wrongs and you have a situation potentially so combustible that it requires handling with diligence and care and a display of statesmanship from the country's leaders.

The Guyanese population, as our readers will be aware, is almost evenly divided between people of African and Indian descent, with a sprinkling of people from other ethnic groups. Unfortunately, race has, for a long time, defined Guyanese politics. Indo-Guyanese, with their slight edge in numbers, support the ruling People's Progressive Party (PPP). Afro-Guyanese vote, largely, for the People's National Congress (PNC).

The PPP now forms the government and after the last election, the PNC claimed fraud at the polls, a claim which few really believed although the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) helped to ease a post-election impasse between the parties to ensure that Guyana remained a functional democracy within the Community.

The PNC, though, was always likely to, and has gained better traction with its claims of a racial imbalance in the distribution of what we in Jamaica call scarce benefits. Race, we know, is a factor. But not the only one.

We believe that while race is an issue, perhaps the greater problem is the underdeveloped and weak political process operating in an environment of poor economic performance over a long period.

In a sense it is like Jamaica. Parties in government hand out benefits mostly to their supporters. In Guyana, these supporters are demarcated by race.

More recently, common criminals, armed thugs, have sought to exploit the country's political and racial tensions. They have sought to characterise a series of recent attacks on the police as the actions of freedom fighters against an illegitimate state. The subliminal text here is to read black freedom fighters against a state dominated by Indo-Guyanese.

Guyanese, African or Indian have to be careful against being seduced by these characterisations. We denounce those who have engaged in such violence for what they are: Criminals. Indeed, we acknowledge, and welcome, the fact that the PNC has condemned the recent upsurge of criminality in Guyana, including the killing of police officers.

Now, we urge the resumption of the political dialogue between President Bharrat Jagdeo and the PNC's leader, Mr. Desmond Hoyte, as well as the work of the inter-party sectoral groups.

Perhaps Mr. Hoyte has a point that these need to move beyond mere talks. In that regard, we suggest that the parties fashion a modus operandi for delivering on undertakings once they are agreed to. For instance, a block of funds in the annual budget could be hypothecated for dealing with projects, which arise from the dialogue. Maybe, too, a small secretariat or a "good offices" official should be appointed to keep the talks honest and to follow through on undertakings.