There are no political strings attached to this initiative

Jun 27, 2008 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
I refer to a letter penned by T. King titled “Make sure your contributions to the AFC” published in your Tuesday June 24th, 2008 issue.

There are a few provocative and inaccurate statements which Mr. King expressed and which we will like to correct for the enlightenment of readers of this column.

Mr. King made the point that “the AFC is begging for donations so as to give away plant seeds in order to gain political mileage”.

At the launching of project “Seeds of Change” at Sophia on May 16th, Mr. Raphael Trotman M.P. and leader of the AFC made it clear that we were not distributing plants to our countrymen because they voted for us or because we expect that they will vote for us.

This was a clear statement indicating that no political strings are attached to this initiative. Everyone who came to that launching was given plants including professed PNCR and PPP/C supporters.

Since then thousands of plants have been shared out all over Guyana, and we never once checked on the colour of anyone’s skin, what party they voted for at the last elections, or what religion they are. Where hunger is concerned it does not matter to us.

Come next elections folks will vote for the AFC based on their judgment as to whether the AFC can be the new government. At that point in time not only the AFC but every other contesting political party will come under the scrutiny of every elector as they contemplate casting their vote.

With this fact before us the AFC will continue to deal with the Guyanese populace in helpful, honest, and caring ways. We are not folks who believe that politics is all about tricking people. In case Mr. King wants to know who are the tricksters let him tell us why the VAT law was implemented after the last elections although it was passed before the said elections?

Let him tell us who is seeking political mileage when GECOM refused to comply with a judge’s order made in favour of the AFC and appealed and lost the said case wasting millions of taxpayers’ dollars.

Mr. King also referred to a failed PNC chicken farm project in Buxton and insinuated that in like manner “Seeds of Change” is only used as a front to raise money.

Whilst it is true that the demand for plants is exceeding our expectations and we welcome any help we can receive, I humbly inform Mr. King that on many occasions folks felt that we were selling plants and offered to pay for them.

They were all told that the exercise is a free one and they did not have to pay one cent. Mr. King also made the very dangerous statement that the AFC intends to use money raised during this exercise “to represent criminals gunned down by Guyana security forces”.

This gives one the impression that the AFC is supportive of criminal activity in Guyana. The AFC knows that there are dangerous criminals operating in Guyana who put up a hard fight against our law enforcement officers. Many of our officers are injured or killed.

The AFC also knows that most of our military personnel come from poor families, and when they perish it may be the sole bread winner slain.

The big businessmen and other prosperous people in our country do not usually have their children in the military. We are on record for standing besides our hurting countrymen when they suffer at the hands of criminals, and for making many useful proposals to tackle the crime and lawlessness.

We stood by those in Lusignan and Bartica and more recently the family of 15-year-old Shelisha Khan of Lancaster, Mahaica who was brutally murdered and her body dumped. We are on record for supporting our law enforcement officers as they try to apprehend criminals and bring them to justice.

In case Mr. King wants to know who is really supporting criminal activities in Guyana, he needs to find out who were burning out sugar cane fields in the 70s when GAWU was fighting for union recognition.

And if he is not old enough or literate enough to read history of a few decades ago, we have the Roger Khan episode unfolding before our eyes.
Sewnauth Punalall
AFC Executive Member

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