Shared governance should not be seen as an abstract, utopian concept to promote peace and development. If it is to become a living reality it will involve the ability to work together in running a government, not an easy thing at the best of times, especially in a poor country suffering from a severe shortage of skilled and experienced human resources. At the minimum, it will require some level of trust and confidence by each side in the ability and integrity of the leading players on the other side that clearly does not now exist or at least it is not reflected in the way they speak of each other.
The People's Progressive Party and the People's National Congress have been competing against each other for forty-five years.
That is in itself perfectly normal in a democratic society where political parties compete in elections to get the support of the electorate and win power. In the case of Guyana, however, this struggle has been particularly bitter involving, as it has done, imperial intervention, rigged elections and ethnic division.
There are many wounds and scars and there has also been a process of demonising of each side by the other.
That cannot change overnight, nor indeed will it ever disappear as the proposal by the People's National Congress Reform, like all power-sharing proposals, envisages the continuation of the two parties and the resultant competition, even though after competing for votes in elections they agree to share power after it based on the votes obtained. However, surely both parties will accept that there has to be some improvement in the present level of the political culture if they are to successfully conduct detailed and difficult negotiations on a coalition agreement and, subsequently, to bear the stresses and strains of government together in a supportive and cooperative manner and with goodwill.
The business of government and the business of opposition must continue. There must be the usual cut and thrust inherent in political life. But the PPP/C and the PNC/R should perhaps do a bit of soul-searching as to the implications of this brave step forward that has now been put on the table as a positive and specific proposal and should consider the tempering of the language and conduct of themselves and their surrogates on talk-shows and elsewhere.
The present verbal excesses and often unfounded accusations and allegations are not conducive to peace and democracy, much less power sharing.