By Jaye Gaskia
Once again I repeat the conclusion from my analysis of the current situation and the ongoing deepening and intensification of the all embracing crisis that is undermining the ruling class consensus on which the 4th Republic was founded.
That crisis has already seen the implosion of the PDP, and the emergence of the APC, and the antagonistic realignment of forces within the ruling class is reaching its apogee, and threatening to push the nation over the brink into a catastrophic self immolation.
What we really need as a country and people is a fundamentally different alternative, a class alternative, one that can radically overturn the status quo and overhaul our condition of living and existence.
What are the facts? We are faced with a situation where we have an incumbent government and ruling party that has so comprehensively failed, that the only clear decision that electorates need to make is to outrightly reject it at the polls.
Unfortunately however, the existence of an opposition that is no different from the failed ruling party, nearly half of whose leaders are recent decampees from the failed ruling party, where the antecedents of its main leaders make one not to expect anything radically different from such a party were it to win power, makes what is supposed to be a simple choice in a significant election such a difficult, if not impossible choice to make.
I reiterate that the difference between the PDP and the APC is that between six and half a dozen, and that the choice we are faced with is that between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea.
It is in this sense that I continue to promote the idea, and the necessity to build a Mass Popular Political Movement to challenge the ruling class for power.
It is why I have continued to draw attention to the lessons from Latin America over the last 15 to 20 years with the emergence of Radical Left Political movement parties that have taken power beginning with the Workers’ Party of Brazil under President Lula.
It is for this reason too that I have continued to call attention to the unfolding of a similar historically significant process in Europe, on the heels of the current global political and economic crisis.
I am referring to the emergence and strengthening of Radical Left Political Movements and Parties, culminating in the recent victory of the SYRIZZA party in Greece, and the emergence of a similar Radical Left party – PODERMOS as the front runner towards the upcoming Spanish elections.
What is interesting about these two parties and the phenomena that they represent is that both parties although historically rooted in the left traditions of their countries are very recently established parties [SYRIZZA is less than 4 years old and PODERMOS is less than 2 years old].
What is more they are led by non-establishment politicians and relatively new entrants into politics; and they have captured the youths and built on the protest movement against failed governance.
The point being made is that we can undertake a similar exercise here, build such a movement party, and upstage the ruling class in a crisis election.
This is the reason we are building the Protest To Power Movement.
A victory for the ruling party in the now rescheduled general elections will further deepen the crisis of governance due to a consolidation of incompetence.
A victory for the opposition will very soon engender a crisis of unmet expectations due to the fact that the APC is not likely going to be able to bring us out of the mess it is in.
Although such a victory and the expectant crisis of unmet expectation could strengthen popular confidence in the ability of the people to change their government; nevertheless it will not amount to the fundamental change the people need.
Our task is to build the Radical Alternative, and to prepare the masses for popular power.
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