Jagdeo and Burnham are different, yet alike

Oct 09, 2008 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
Two days after my letter dated 17/9/08 was published, I received an urgent call from my squad mate and friend, who resides in Britain.

He attempted to console me, referring to his distinct privilege of serving with all who are now Xs. It was his revelation that made me pause, but I wasn’t surprised.

He said that the reply that the Association awaits from the Commander in Chief and his CoS will never come to pass. It was this expression that frightened me.

The reason given by my friend clearly placed the President in a category by himself. Mr. President, it is rumoured that your animosities towards the Xs emanate from the fact that we were in active service during Burnham’s stewardship and we were in league with whatever took place during elections, including rigging. You have a duty to defend yourself against these allegations Mr. President.

If this allegation is true, it can only be assumed it’s the reason for his intention from the onset not to respond and this may have been the instructions given to his CoS.

You see Mr. President, once you have declared the Xs your adversaries, we will ensure that we maintain and keep the distance known as danger zone.

The X soldiers have no problem with neither of you; it seems as though you have a basic problem with the Xs.

Mr. President the one and only who is perfect and not subject to error and criticism is Almighty God. He is the Alpha and the Omega.

I would like the President to know that Burnham made errors and blunders, but he also did many things that Guyanese benefited from and continue to, unto this day. Sometimes I read the many venomous expressions about Burnham.

He is continuously demonized by some writers who claim he was the devil himself. Many readers were too young to grasp anything from expressions to know about this man. Let me say frankly that I am neither representing nor defending Burnham.

For the archives and the records, I wish to make a comparison with Burnham’s 28 years and your two terms, Mr. President, and the third for which you are now fighting for mercilessly. I would not be able to give a full account, but enough to satisfy the readers of the column.

I would like to know, Mr. President, how many enquiries you have set up to deal with atrocities perpetrated against citizens? How many Ministers have you sent into oblivion for corrupt practices?

The man you and your colleagues label as the devil has shown he had an angelic part of him, just like everyone else.

The incident that is remembered among the administration’s supporters is the incident at No 64, where the soldiers came under fire and retaliated, leaving one dead and several injured.

The PPP caused the man you call a devil to place those involved before the court, presided by the Honourable Dhan Japhan. Burnham did comply and there was a trial.

I know that the country is affected by climate change and we are encouraged to grow more, not wanting to use the entire slogan of the man labeled the devil by his adversaries; the devil’s rescue plan has submerged with the exception of food, because we don’t want to have anything to do with the slogan of the devil.

Mr. President, it is said that Burnham did not take advice nor heed advisers. You also do not listen to them either.

There is dissimilarity here Mr. President. Burnham dismissed his ministers when he found them lacking. I will name a few closest to him that felt his anger – Neville Bissember, R. Jordan, CML John, C. Merriman and many more too numerous to mention.

On the other hand, you Mr. President are skilled in shuffling; you move them like chess, allowing them to have a new life. These are only a few aspects of my comparison. I will continue in a next missive.
Umar Saied

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Jagdeo and Burnham are different, yet alike

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