Amid major push back from the larger political parties, the Forward Guyana Movement (FGM) – one of the three new parties in the electoral race – called on Guyanese to “split” the vote when they head to the polls in Monday’s General and Regional Elections.

FGM Presidential Candidate, Amanza Walton-Desir, in her address to supporters at Burnham Court during the party’s closing “brief,” told supporters that for decades the “red and green parties” have pitted Guyanese against each other, and are now calling on voters not to split the votes.

But, she said the hour of reckoning is now upon them.

“And so, they say don’t split the vote, because you know somehow they see us as property and this is a mindset that permeates the leadership across the political landscape for years and for decades. They see us as belonging to them, which is why they could go into Parliament, they could sit there, they could not represent you, and they come every five years to say, you know what, don’t vote for them….but it is not what you are voting against, it is what you are voting for,” Walton-Desir said.

She said by choosing Forward Guyana, Guyanese would be voting for real change.

“My brothers and sisters on Monday, you have a choice. We know you want change. We know you want real change. But not all change is good change. And so, you want change, you have accepted the need for change. So, what do you choose? And my brothers and sisters, I submit to you that Forward Guyana and the men and women of Forward Guyana are the only credible alternative to anything that you have being offered right now on the political landscape,” Walton-Desir said.

FGM Candidate and former Minister of Government under the APNU+AFC Administration, Ronald Bulkan said it is time to split the votes.

“Throughout this campaign, we have faced strong resistance from other parties, saying to potential voters, don’t split the votes. What nonsense we say! This is the ultimate disrespect; the vote belongs to you, not to any party that believes they have the right to it, depending on your ethnicity. A party has to earn your vote,” Bulkan said, noting that this is no horse race.

He reasoned that for almost 60 years, the two major political parties – the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C) and the People’s National Congress/Reform (PNC/R) now contesting under the APNU banner – have held the seat of Government, occupy the majority of seats in the National Assembly.

According to him, those parties have garnered their support on the basis of race.

“This voter alignment on the basis of race has kept us divided as a nation and has prevented us from realizing our true potential. This formula has not benefited us, in fact, it has kept us back. It has also even taken us backwards,” Bulkan said.

Bulkan said elections in Guyana have not been about a contest of policies and ideas but sadly, about a head count of the country’s races. He said the vote has been used as a “negative” weapon to keep “the other side out.”

“I am here to tell you, that the Forward Guyana Movement was birthed against the recognition that we need to break from this path, to offer Guyanese something different, something better, where the vote is used as a positive weapon not a negative one,” Bulkan said as he too called for the splitting the vote.

According to him, FGM is the most credible alternative in Monday’s elections.

“The proud candidates of our list have stepped forward to undertake this difficult assignment of promoting and providing better and more caring governance and the task of uniting our people, governance that value all of our people – that respects the poor, the marginalized, looks out for their welfare. Governance that comes with clean hands, and caring hearts, enough of taking care of the rich and the well connected. We believe they can look after themselves,” Bulkan said.

FGM Candidate, Randolph Critchlow said Guyanese will allow for true representation in the National Assembly, and better management of the country, if they split the votes.

“I know it is hard for the two big political parties to understand and accept that the political landscape has changed and there are other parties in the game now. So, the reality is, splitting the votes is exactly what you have to do. It is exactly what you have to do because you need more representation in parliament. We don’t want two parties in parliament, one get all the power, and the next one just sit down collecting all the lil money and duty free for five years and have no say. That’s a waste of time,” Critchlow reasoned.

FGM is among six political parties contesting the General and Regional Elections. However, it is only contesting the elections in seven regions.

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