The decision by the AFC to form a People’s Partnership without the PNC and the PPP is worthy of further exploration

Aug 02, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
I refer to the letter from Rickford Burke dated July 27, 2010 captioned “AFC’s preemptive preclusion……… undermines the doctrine of coalition building”.
Burke has failed to honestly flesh out why the Guyanese state is where it is today. He opted instead to unfairly burden the AFC with responsibilities that really belong to the PNC and the PPP. Why was the AFC created in the first place? Certainly not to become a satellite of the PNC and the PPP but to chart a new political course for Guyana!
If one is to read Burke seriously, they will recognise he took little cognizance of our history especially the 1964 UF/PNC coalition. This experience will tell you that a coalition with the PNC has nothing to offer to the AFC. Burke should have known that the UF was diabolically distinct from the PNC and that the 1964 coalition was political opportunism in its most raw form. The rest is history but the end result is a UF which is just a mere skeleton of its former self.
So why Burke is so disappointed that the AFC is unwilling to engage in politically opportunism?
This struggle is not about patching together a coalition of the willing just for the sake of gaining power. This struggle is about permanently changing the way we practice politics in Guyana with iron-clad constitutional reforms that guaranteed all Guyanese a more fair deal. So this decision by the AFC to form a so-called People’s Partnership without the PNC and the PPP but including individuals from the PNC and PPP is a novel idea that is worthy of further exploration, not condemnation.
One can gathered from Burke’s writing that he is more motivated to get rid of the PPP than to strengthen Guyana politically for the future and this is really concerning since the mantra should be “putting Guyana first”, not power at all cost. Any party or politician who is willing to throw away their core values exclusively to gain power is guilty of political opportunism.
Burnham was and Jagdeo is but I am certain the AFC is not and that is why their principle stance on no coalition with the PNC and PPP at this time is commendable. The PNC and the PPP has nothing to offer the AFC at this point in time.
The AFC believes in truly empowering the people with a system of Government that distributes the power to the people. The Jagdeo regime has moved the PPP to an extremely centralized form of Government that is so bad that when he is on his travels, the Government of Guyana goes into pause. The same was practiced by the PNC.
The AFC has a legacy to build and it would not want to be in the genie bottle that the PNC and the Jagdeo regime currently find themselves. Stephen Rabe in his book US Intervention in British Guiana quoted the following from the paragraph 8 of the Special National Intelligence Estimate of 11 April 1962, “the US Intelligence community consider Burnham an opportunist, a thief and a racist and predicted that Guyana would undergo conflict and instability if Burnham gained power”.  The history books are still to be written on Jagdeo but if the preliminary evidence is anything to go by; his legacy will be far worse than Burnham’s as he oversaw the worst forms of corruption, crime, hopelessness, disrespect for the rule of law and human rights abuse ever experience since our independence.  All these acts of poor governance were slavishly perpetuated in service to his ethnic class; the bourgeoisie Indo-Guyanese business class connected to his cabal. So why bundle the AFC with these mentally corrupt leaders?
With all this evidence, why would Burke consider the AFC position as “lacking wisdom and as a manifestation of political immaturity?” The mere act of rotating their Presidential Candidate speaks volume of the mental maturity of that party. Is this possible in the traditional parties?  Why could men of merit like Roger Luncheon or Winston Murray not be the Presidential Candidate of the PPP or the PNC respectively?
To expose the racism in the PNC, one just have to throw their minds back to the Murray candidacy for the Leadership of that Party and it can easily explains how a Teekah or a Murray can easily be removed from leadership of that party but a Hammie Green can regain his position of influence in the party even though he undermined the PNC with the AGGG.
With respect to the PPP, Janet Jagan and Sam Hinds were well respected in the support base of that party in 1997 and thus there was no logical or sensible reason for the “A Team formula” other than pure and naked racism. Any politically informed mind can tell you that Janet Jagan was the “blue eye boujie” to the PPP flock and she was supported more than many Indo-Guyanese leaders who were born in Guyana. Sam Hinds had also proven himself with the party faithful as someone who was free from political opportunism and adventurism. Thus on its merit, the PPP never needed the A Team. Unfortunately for Guyana that A Team formula, driven by racial prejudices, produced the worst leader in Guyana’s history (that person is not Janet Jagan but the reading public knows whom I am alluding to).
It is most regrettable that Burke re-entered the political dialogue with an inconsistent message that is actually dangerous for the AFC’s well being and mission. But who know, Burke may get what he wants, access to political power once again by way of high stake political opportunism. There is a very high possibility of a PPP/PNC coalition after 2011 and by way of his PNC connection he is back in the game.
As Adlai Stevenson said, “A hypocrite is the kind of politician who would cut down a redwood tree, then mount the stump and make a speech for conservation”.  We have a lot of that to see in 2011 and as they explain away their marriage of convenience. The Uncle in Enterprise has to reconstruct his message of indoctrination to support this marriage. His usual message to the Indo-Guyanese at the bottom house meeting in the village that the PNC is “rawan” (the demon) cannot fly anymore.
There is hope for Guyana as more of our people focus on manifestos, core values, and leaders regardless of race, class, religion or colour. There is hope for Guyana as more of our people bury the parties and leaders forever that practice covert racism and economic apartheid against the working class. Once there is hope, there is a way. Patience Burke, patience!
Sasenarine Singh

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Raw sewage is a more serious health hazard than garbage

Dear Editor,
We note with interest the Minister’s expressed wish for a health crisis in the City, in his own words to provide the opportunity to get rid of the Mayor and Councillors.
Checks with our Medical Officer of Health revealed that there have been no new or unusual health issues since the garbage crisis.
We have a mild ‘flu’ outbreak which is part of a cycle that affects Guyana and neighbouring countries from time to time. Therefore, nothing unusual. The United States of America has a whooping cough outbreak, which in the words of our Minister of Health, Dr. Leslie Ramsammy is worrisome. In neighbouring Trinidad there is a dengue outbreak, coupled with other environmental related diseases in the Caribbean.
In the City we’ve had ruptured sewerage mains at more than one location. Let it be known that the Georgetown City Council has absolutely nothing to do with the disposition of raw sewage, which can be a more serious health hazard than garbage.
This information is necessary, brief as it is, so that if any health situation happens, and I pray to God it does not, that those who already expressed a wish will not use their substantial and effective propaganda machine to pounce upon, and blame the Georgetown Municipality for all ills
During all this, the Public Health Department headed by Dr Bizuayehu Jeffrey remain vigilant, ensuring that the abattoir, the five municipal markets and eating houses comply with the rules and regulations governing; the examination and slaughtering of animals, and preparation and distribution of food.
In spite of our many constraints, we will continue our efforts to secure the health and wellbeing of citizens.
In the meantime, we ask all businesses, households and institutions to dispose of garbage in sealed containers, and in each and every case to sprinkle them with a strong solution of Jeyes Fluid (disinfectant).
Further to identify vehicles that are bringing waste from along our outlying areas to get in touch with us with vehicle number etc.
Hamilton Green, J. P.

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Is the President intellectually disadvantaged on the subject of media rules and regulations?

Dear Editor,
I write in response to a letter in Guyana Chronicle on July 30 captioned: “Mr. Gill is not competent to deal with such matters”, and wish to advise Mr. Kwame Mc Coy that his letter not only demonstrates his arrogance, but a level of ignorance that is unbecoming of the position he holds in the Office of the President.
It further demonstrates the mindset of the Jagdeo Administration that only they know what’s best for the Guyanese people.
My proposal to issue reporters covering Presidential Press Conferences and other events at the Office of the President (OP) with a special OP Press Credential may be new to Kwame Mc Coy, but it is similar to a well established and proven system used by The White House to recognise those reporters accredited by them to cover the American President and functions at the White House. No other reporter with a regular government-issued press credential would be permitted to go anywhere near the President of the United States for security reasons.
If all reporters have easy access to a Government Information Agency (GINA) press pass, as Mc Coy seem to want everyone to have, then anyone with a GINA press pass can have easy access to the Office of the President and State House for assignments as he clearly stated. Herein lies the stupidity of President Jagdeo’s Information Press Liaison Officer, Mr. Kwame Mc Coy.
For in a country where bribery is prevalent, it shouldn’t be difficult for the wrong person to acquire a GINA press pass for entry into any of these premises.
It took the 9-11 terrorist attack on American soil for the status quo in security procedures to change throughout the world. But I guess some people just don’t learn.
In accusing me of being “intellectually disadvantaged on the subject of media rules and regulations”, I wonder if Kwame Mc Coy realised that he was putting the President in the same category; for when contacted by Kaieteur News, Jagdeo admitted being “unaware” of that “long-established rule” Mc Coy brags about. So tell me Kwame, are you saying that the President is “intellectually disadvantaged on the subject of media rules and regulations?” Or were you just being vindictive when you prevented Kaieteur senior reporter Gary Eleazar from doing his job. Either way, you ought to be reprimanded, but I don’t expect this will ever happen.
I’ve been called names before, so I can live with being called an “opportunist” by Kwame Mc Coy. Had he not been doing everything possible to please his President, he would have seen that everyday, more and more Guyanese are waking up outraged at the failures of their government, and are becoming more politically active with one goal in mind: The removal of the PPP/C Administration in 2011. I would call this “waking up a sleeping giant.”
However, in retrospect, I guess it’s more complimentary to be called an “opportunist” than a “child molester”. Don’t you agree Mr. Mc Coy?
Harry Gill

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