ACRONYMS like NACTA always come across as unsubtle showboating by the penman who thinks the collection of letters places him on that plane of knowledge reserved for its deities.
It is of cautioned use, mostly, because the whole aim of communicating is to inform its receiver.
And when it is not language or its construction that’s impeding absorption, it invokes curiosity …in this case about a poll ostensibly not named which finds that the “PPP at its weakest”, in spite of “several financial scandals”, is more popular than the PNC/APNU Coalition which have collectively been unable to surpass PPP popularity.
See?
No spelling out of the acronyms here because they are commonly known…underscoring our point.
What is not known is the efficacy of this opinion poll, the percentage of controlled or random/ participants, control questions and the elements comprising the questions from which the statistics were extracted.
In other words, polling is not a mere statement of sentiment or is it a declaration of indulgence for a specific entity, in hope of some kind of reward. It is a numeric calculation of sentiment based on specific questions pointed at defined issues.
The penman of the article comes with a wheelbarrow full of disparate certifications and degrees, each contrasting in every course of study which suggests immeasurable academic accomplishment – the calling card of many in the party that was given this positive prediction by this pollster.
And we’re not hinting at Diploma Mill Certification, the literal path to claiming scholastic achievement by so many.
But it would be good if, when they show off their degrees, it comes with an alma mater and year of graduation, so that we, the impressed, can verify accreditation or even existence of the institution of learning.
Plus, this pollster’s portfolio is no ordinary one.
There’s even a signed volunteering award by a US President, pursuant to a recommendation by a ‘certifying organization’…part of the package of American Diplomacy.
This makes its conference not a feat of accomplishment but a symbolic issuance, a non instrumental tool, an honorific, that lines up with diplomacy and its outreach.
We’re sure it’s the proverbial cherry on top of the pile of academic certifications that spans the gamut of academia. laying in that wheelbarrow.
But back to the polling and it’s prediction of certainty and uncertainty.
The assertion that the PPP has made gains among all groups is carefully excluding the factor of emotional voting.
Poverty, hunger and housing create yearning for a better space, which gravitates towards that source purely for provision and not for leadership.
When Government systems starve citizens of food, jobs and raze their housing, people will support them out of fear not because of leadership.
We remain firmly of the opinion that the Opposition has grossly under-performed because it has failed functionally at establishing itself as the Constitutional entity it was constructed to be.
Consequently, no gravitation towards the ruling Party can be measured- even through this ‘polling’ – as pure political preference more than as a means to an end.
The examination of the heads of Parties within the Coalition is with merit because there is definitely striking and significant differences between the two heads of the larger entities.
And like emotional voting, the psychology of the voter is another component of polling.
There is the cultural fraction which is further subdivided into the informal or folksy conduct of the leader personality – relating to ethnicity and the down -to -earth conduct of the leader.
We’ve always preferred that the leader bears the stature of the office. We’ve always contended that overdone folksiness is working cover for abject lack of knowledge and disabilities to perform at the level required of leadership.
We’ve often wondered exactly what was accomplished, in measurable terms, by the sitting Opposition – job placement for example – by negotiating with the governing Party for a percentage of jobs to be assigned to certain demographics on the Opposition’s political map.
And this doesn’t render the governing Party blameless from its duty to engage its Opposition…to balance the Constitutional machine of Government and give its citizens the democracy their constitution guarantees.
We don’t understand how one Party in a democracy can control the workings of Government and claim ‘One Guyana’ when ‘one-ness’ is demonstrably excluding of so many – particularly the group historically excluded from the benefits of society.
Going to court, we’re often told, is futile because the courts rule in favor of the governing Party.
But there is morality in futility especially when encountered while executing the duty you were elected for. Winning at doing your job should be the inherent aim. Winning in court would be its bonus.
And this is the bearing of the stature of the office that should go with its title because it’s a built-in motivator…in service to the people and not self.
If we were to say which leader in the Opposition, amongst its factions, has demonstrated more pedigree and working knowledge, it wouldn’t be difficult.
But that’s hardly the charge at this fifty ninth minute.
What we hope is that evaluations for improvement are ongoing, that the methodology of fielding candidates is improving, that the staples of race, gender and Party loyalty are no longer the gauges to determine candidate quality.
Being in politics ‘all my life’ is more indictment than achievement when leadership is so mal functional that it is detrimental to the function that contributes to balanced governance.
We’re not condemning the poll because it may be right.
We’re berating it because it’s clearly an opinion masquerading as a poll…is our thought.