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What’s unpatriotic about Ramjattan speaking to the US State Dept.?

Sep 03, 2010 Letters

Dear Editor,
I take umbrage at president’s Jagdeo’s remarks:” What bothers me is this unpatriotic feeling …they have not decolonized their minds”, as reported in KN’s lead article of 9/2/10.
Very often in small countries like Guyana (population 700,000, per capita income $3,000), their institutions (media, parliament) do not lend enough assistance to expose corruptions and dictatorial actions by the Government.
Very often redress to abuses and corrupt acts of the government are impossible
The independent press (SN, KN) are weak – small budgets, limited scope and revenue – are unable to do investigative journalism as the Washington Post and New York Times can. In the United States, the media not only report the news and shape public opinion they also perform the functions of the Opposition party in the Congress.
Was it historian Robert Moore who said in small countries like Guyana, the president once installed in power has all the levers of power at his disposal? Such a constitutional set-up does not allow for effective give and take between government and the opposition as is normal in functioning democracies. In such cases, to get a full airing of important issues, opposition seek intervention from the international media, as well as from the ABC countries and the EU – the so-called liberal democracies of the world.
Only a few years ago, Guyana was ruled by a dictatorship. I must remind President Jagdeo that his party’s founder and leader, Cheddi Jagan always sought intervention from the U.S. Government t. In the two years leading up to the October 1992 elections, Jagan got critical help from the Senator Ted Kennedy and the U.S. State Dept to bring pressure to bear on President Desmond Hoyte.
Former President Jimmy Carter who brokered the deal with Hoyte that enabled free and fair elections to be held in Guyana was sent there with a plane paid for by the U.S. government and his trip was approved by  then Secretary of State Jim Baker.
How come now when an opposition leader goes to the U.S. State Dept to complain about alleged wrong-doings and acts of corruption, it suddenly becomes “unpatriotic feeling … they have not decolonized their minds” .
I was one of many Guyanese-born activists resident in the New York area who regularly sought meetings with NY-based Congressmen to ask them to intervene in Guyana’s political affairs. On two occasions I also went to the State Dept and had talks with … yes, low-level Deputy Assistant Secretary of State. Mr. Jagdeo seems to be bragging that he met with high-level officials. That’s how it should be Sir, you are the President.
I recently returned from Guyana and I couldn’t find a single Guyanese who believe that the tender board system that awarded million-dollar contracts had any integrity – and that it operated above board and transparently. The parliament is unable to force an investigation into this matter. Should the citizens of this country and their representatives sit back and do nothing?
What about the Roger Khan drug operations including the housing schemes and the hidden wealth? Did the British Government and the Canadian Government and the American government not call for a Commission of Inquiry to investigate these operations? And, what was President Jagdeo’s response?
We need to have a full debate on the meaning of sovereignty and colonialism in this country? Some people in the government need to disabuse themselves of their old Marxist mind-set to understand that practically all third world countries seek and accept help from the rich countries – and it doesn’t compromise their sovereignty, nor does it lead to re-colonization.
Mike Persaud

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