AFC has no liberal democracy in its DNA

Nov 06, 2010 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Sasenarine Singh in his letter, “Liberal democracy is the DNA of the AFC” (Kaieteur News, November 4) got carried away and thought he was teaching one of the PPP closed door propaganda classes they run for their members, the PYO, GAWU and NAACIE.
In true propaganda style he followed the script by calling me names and trying to pretend that I do not exist or if I exist I have to be “neemakaram” because my thoughts cannot be true since Indians are not supposed to disagree with their own, think independently, or speak out and if they do they must repeat the propaganda. After that he took the next step to roll out the adulterated hogwash.
Here comes his vilest of coded language: “So, these ‘jagabats’, are up to nothing more than political mischief as they grind their political axe in their attempt to recover lost political grounds, most of which was ceded to the AFC.” It is the PNCR who lost political ground to the AFC as per GECOM statistics and these supporters are overwhelmingly Afro-Guyanese.
To Sase, I am not African; neither am I a “jagabat”, the Hindi word for someone of ill-repute; or a “phantom”; I am you. I am a young Indo-Guyanese with a university education and a fairly decent job given the hard times in the country.
I am an independent thinker, thanks to my parents for instilling the value of questioning which was reinforced by my teachers, and may I add they have been of all races, though the majority has been Afro-Guyanese. Hope Sase does not think that I am mis-educated or brainwashed.
Unlike him I do not let a pre-determined agenda direct my thinking or disrespect for others. The information before me guides the conclusion that I come to. At times this can be hurtful to those who do not like the truth, so I understand the reflex action to attack me and others unjustifiably.
The AFC does not have an iota of liberal democracy in its DNA and here is why. Wordiq.com defines liberal democracy as, “a form of representative democracy where elected representatives that hold the decision power are moderated by a constitution that emphasises protecting individual liberties and the rights of minorities in society, such as freedom of speech and assembly, freedom of religion, the right to private property and privacy, as well as equality before the law and due process under the rule of law, and many more.” The party practices none of these.
The rotation of Khemraj Ramjattan and Raphael Trotman as presidential candidate is illiberal even if it is a gentleman’s agreement, or written in their constitution.
Justifying this selection based on race is ludicrous when the country has six races. I read about the treatment Europeans meted out to the indigenous people and other races because they thought they were superior, but it seems as though this is how the AFC elites see not only the indigenous people, but also other races and persons like Michael Carrington and Gaumattie Singh.
This is also proven in a letter Singh wrote to the press when he said that an Indian must be the presidential candidate in order to win, and in his November 4 letter insulting the AFC’s base by calling them “jagabats”, when Indians have screwed up like every race and there is no evidence that Indians are superior to any race.
Singh’s statements are very racist and it is unfortunate the AFC allows this and is not seeking to change the country’s racist politics by apologizing to the other races and telling Indians that they are just like every race and must respect the other races as equals.
After Ravi Dev’s ROAR, the AFC is the most opened in promoting racist politics, hoping they can fool the people or if the people recognise it they won’t mind.
The AFC does not support protest which is another illiberal attitude. Khemraj Ramjattan was being protested by paid PPP protestors, but is against others protesting the PPP poor governance.
It is not Navindra Persaud who is distorting the truth and trying to deny Michael Carrington his rights. It was Carrington who said the Ramjattan’s people were trying to force him out of the race and Trotman who told him to delay sharing information with the public.
It was a prominent members of the AFC, including Raphael Trotman who mocked him with his “lol” (laugh out loud) comment on his facebook, Brandon Samaroo who called him a “moron” in his blog on SN, Sasenarine Singh who said only an Indian must be presidential candidate and Sheila Holder who according to Freddie Kissoon said “critical things” about Carrington.
Last Sunday (31-10-10), when the AFC held the presidential candidate election there was no democracy. Delegates had to openly declare their support by putting up their hands as often happens in concentration camps, anti-democratic organisations and dictatorial societies.
Three abstained and only Carrington voted for himself. Even with university and high school governments there is secret ballot to choose the president. The AFC who brags that it is the party of new politics could not even take the chance of secret balloting.
It is my view a secret ballot was not held so as to intimidate supporters not to vote for Carrington or to make sure they voted for Ramjattan unanimously. It can only be imagined the psychology that gripped those who obviously felt the eyes of the elites staring down at them from the head table.
They had to put up their hands or else, and those who abstained probably felt if they voted their conscience they will be read the riot act and thrown out of the party. Pathetic.
Ramjattan used to condemn the PPP dictatorial democratic centralism and I think Sasenarine too, but they behave just like the dictatorial, fear mongering and propaganda driven PPP.
Navindra Persaud

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