ABSTRACT
The consolidation of the two-party electoral system in Trinidad and Tobago and Guyana in the Caribbean has seen a simultaneous rise in interracial conflict and competition between people of Indian descent and those of African descent. 1 The major political parties have developed strong ties to these racialized communities. Election cycles (as well as the with-holding of elections by the government) have become linked to the rise of racial insecurity, tension and violent conflict, as the two communities have come to regularly compete with each other for political power. As one commentator has put it, “the freer the election the fiercer the conflict” (Interview 1).
