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The Chandarpal equation

Jan 25, 2011 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

I got calls Saturday morning from two persons whom I respect immensely for their pro-democracy work at the moment. Both men are important to the human rights climate if we are going to make Guyana a modern constitutional democracy. They were both alarmed at the tone of my Saturday piece which they think did not add anything to the encouragement we should show to Navin Chandarpal.
One of them called me when I was driving. I promised to return the call. I forgot. Here is an opportunity to extend an apology. That person knows who he is.
My Saturday column did not show any appreciation for the brave comments on Mr. Jagdeo’s style of governance by Mr. Chandarpal. I will stick to the essential objectives in Saturday’s evaluation. Two points need to be made. When I am in the classroom and writing in my capacity as a commentator, I strive onerously to meet professional standards.
I have taught literally hundreds of PPP activists including the children of PPP leaders and not one of them I believe will be indecent to say that I have ever even for a fleeting moment, I repeat “even for fleeting moment,”  made reference to any aspect whatsoever of Guyanese politics.
None of the courses I teach has any scope for discussing Guyana’s sociology or politics. There is not one child in the PPP family that can tell his/her parent I have ever made reference to local politics in my class room. If they are reading this, I hope they make mention of that fact to their parents.
If it is not the truth, I would like to hear from anyone of them where I committed that error. I strive for the same professional conduct in my columns though I will admit I am not as meticulous as when I am on the lecture circuit.
It is my belief people read this page out of the need to examine my interpretation of events. They want to know what Freddie thinks of what Joan did and they want to read Freddie’s explanations.
To be true to my readers, I have to offer them not political plans of my own but my objective take on the issues they are interested in. No one can deny that open disagreements inside the PPP will be a healthy contribution to Guyana’s desperate search to become a modern democracy.
I hope others join Mr. Chandarpal and denounce the completely unacceptable naked exercise of power under the present president. Having said that, I thought it was appropriate to describe for readers why Mr. Chandarpal sought to publicly chastise Mr. Jagdeo.
For me, it has nothing to do with fundamental instincts of democracy. It is my belief that given their experience in the sugar industry, both Chandarpal and Komal Chand are alarmed at Guysuco’s rapid deterioration and the implications for sugar workers.
The uncertainty for sugar workers comes at a time when the PPP is facing a general election. It is my unshakeable conviction that Messrs. Chandarpal and Chand are depressed about a likely PPP defeat.
Even if Mr. Chandarpal did not strategize on the timing of his remark, it is strange that he enunciated it just months before an election. If there is no deliberately strategizing by Chandarpal, then his outspokenness will still benefit the PPP at the election.
Essentially what Mr. Chandarpal is saying is that the wrong factor is Mr. Jagdeo not the PPP. Translate that into election language and it means that the PPP has not been the bad guys all along. It was Mr. Jagdeo who strayed from the path.
I sense that an increasing schism between the Chandarpal faction and Mr. Jagdeo will benefit the PPP during the election. It is my desire to see the opposition win. Come August 2011 when the election is due, the PPP would have been nineteen years in power. I cannot see why the electorate would want to put back the PPP when the balance sheet is truly horrible and that is putting it mildly (a more frightening adjective should be applied).
In my Saturday article I felt I had an obligation to my readers to offer an assessment of   the politics of Mr. Chandarpal. The classification of being a democrat does not apply to him. In all fairness to objectivity and the facts, only Moses Nagamootoo sought to denounce the venalities that were emerging as the PPP got older in power.
One has to honestly ask; where was Chandarpal when Nagamootoo was speaking up? There is still time for Chandarpal to do so.

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