Is the PPP Government less democratic than Burnham’s?

Jan 20, 2009 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

Last year I did a column entitled; “PPP leaders who enjoyed democracy under Burnham.” It was a reaction to PPP big wigs and their sycophants (who hid under their beds during the 17-year rule of Forbes Burnham) who subtly hinted that I should be dismissed from UG because I am an anti-Government critic.
I showed readers where these very PPP leaders who denounced the PNC’s rule from Burnham to Hoyte as a demonic enjoyed the full rights of citizenship without even receiving a scratch.
Mr. Hydar Ally wrote in the Mirror that I enjoy the right to criticise Cheddi Jagan’s record while still working at the institution that Jagan founded, UG. The insinuation was clear – why should I be allowed to work at UG while lambasting the legacy of its founder. This is the same Hydar Ally that sat in the PPP’s Central Committee and performed the function of the chairman of the PPP’s propaganda committee while working at Burnham’s GuySuCo.
Roger Luncheon did his thing at the Georgetown Public Hospital under Burnham and Hoyte and collected his monthly salary without interruption. Navin Chandarpal happily taught at the then Burnham-controlled university. The editor, Dr. Paul Singh, of the PPP’s propaganda sheet, “Thunder” was a senior lecturer at Burnham’s university.
President Jagdeo, while doing his party work in Unity, was employed at Desmond Hoyte’s State Planning Secretariat. Mr. Hoyte was his direct boss. Henry Jeffrey, Dale Bisnauth and Shaik Baksh were comfortably ensconced at UG during the reign of the PNC. Mr. Hoyte didn’t even inquire about their presence.
Dr. Prem Misir was a UG lecturer during Burnham’s presidency. So was Dr. Jagan’s adviser, Professor Bill Carr. Dr. Frank Anthony was head of the PPP’s youth arm while employed at Ministry of Health under the PNC. So was the head of the women’s arm of the PPP, Dr. Shanti Singh.
Ronnie Nawbatt worked at Burnham’s Ministry of Health while serving in the PPP’s central committee. I could go on but let’s go straight to Robeson Benn.
Mr. Benn worked as a senior public servant under the PNC Government and was never dismissed. He survived to become one of Mr. Jagdeo’s Ministers. Mr. Benn, according to media reports, fired the head of the Transport and Harbours Department, Mr. Ivor English.
Mr English has a Masters in maritime administration. Mr. English was a former student of mine and someone whose professionalism as a public servant is excellent. Dismissed also was another senior employee, Ms. Karen Bowen.
It is happening slowly but surely – by the time the 2011 election comes around the administrative cartography of the entire public service would have been transformed to the point where all the seniors under the PNC Government would have disappeared. Surely, it cannot be a coincidence.
There is a term, “ethnic cleansing” that is quite popular in journalism but one could refer to public sector cleansing under the PPP. What became of the dozens and dozens of senior officials at GuySuCo when the PNC was in power? Did they all commit grievous sins and had to be removed. So many of them in just sixteen years? Or was it some form of cleansing or cleaning or clearing or what have you?
So Guyana has reverted to the colonial days of dismissal at Her Majesty’s Pleasure. Those who read the fantastic books of CLR James or Franz Fanon would not be surprised at what happened to Ivor English.
Our dark-skinned Third World “anti-colonial champions” were just waiting to get the white man’s power and his mansion. They succeed and it was business as usual. The new non-white master was happy to dismiss his subjects as when it was the prerogative of Her Majesty the Queen of England.
I wasn’t around in those days but I got the funny feeling the white man was more humane. You could have gone and pleaded your case to him and recited the philosophy of Cicero, John Locke and Rousseau, and the principle of natural law. And somewhere in his heart, there was a little space for the invocation of the tradition of the Enlightenment with its attendant values of innate rights and freedoms. And you would have been spared.
Not so with our new monarchs. Burnham was funny though. Even though he was the new master, you could have begged him. He would recite some Latin words and forgive you. The PPP masters are of a different cloth. The arrogance resembles the men in uniform in the Nazi Party. When a decision is made, it is made. You are done with.
But maybe even the Nazis were more understanding. At least Joseph O’Lall thought so. What do you think?

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Is the PPP Government less democratic than Burnham’s?

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