Let’s equip ourselves to bring about real and meaningful change

Mar 22, 2011 Letters

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Dear Editor,
President Bharrat Jagdeo and the PPP/C are caught up with their lies; it therefore means that the nation has every reason to distrust them.
Those of us who have been following the shenanigans of the PPP/C, over the last few years, with respect to that party’s hatched plan to keep Jagdeo in office after 2011, must now put the pieces of the puzzle together.
The move to keep Jagdeo in office started with the PPP/C putting together a team it called the “Operation- Third Term Committee”, which comprised of some of their named presidential candidate hopefuls and some paid surrogates.
The mission of this group was to create an atmosphere for overwhelming public support for their ‘Jagdeo third term mantra’.
A key propaganda strategy they employed was to promote a notion that Robert Corbin, the Leader of the Opposition, had agreed to this madness.
This lie was specifically planted to take root in the minds of those who the PPP/C saw as appropriate conduits to channel their message, and it was not surprising when some of those, unsuspecting targets picked up this bone and ran with it, much to the excitement of Jagdeo and the regime.
Mr. Corbin, repeatedly, lashed out against the ‘third term plot’ and vehemently denounced the propaganda. But still the PPP/C and their friends continued, it was not until when it was made clear to the PPP/C and their executive that Guyanese were not going to tolerate Jagdeo for one day more, beyond his constitutional limit that the party issued a statement claiming that it was not part of that group, and then claimed that Jagdeo was not interested in a third term.
The PPP/C third term committee was debunked, but the party’s quest for a ‘Jagdeo Stay in Office’ did not end there.
They went back to the drawing board and hatched a plan called the “Operation Extension of Term”, where the hope was to have Jagdeo drag on as president for almost another five years, without any specific mandate by the people (without elections).
The hope was that there would be enough upheavals created to warrant the declaration of a state of emergency and this would have been sufficient, they claim, to make Bharrat stay on as President of Guyana.
Some may argue that the many disturbing events during the last two years did not happen by accident.
However, the PPP/C did not win this one as people were too keen on breaking their backs to ‘make ends meet’ in order to take care of their families.
Further, since it appears that, over the last decade, heinous crime and vile criminal activities have become the new norm in Guyana, people were not overcome even by back-to-back massacres that claimed the lives of about 20 innocent Guyanese (including women and children).
Guyanese also kept their sanity even with the gruesome hacking to death of miners at Lindo Creek, the resilience, strength, courage and faith of Guyanese was not shattered even in these most telling moments.
The PPP/C realised it would have taken stealth boomers and may be an ‘Operation Odyssey Dawn’, as is currently taking place in Libya, to create the kind of atmosphere they were hoping would result.
Leader of the Opposition, Robert Corbin, was the first to expose the PPP/C’s ‘operation extension of term’ plot. Corbin informed the nation that a plan had been hatched at Freedom House to push for Jagdeo’s stay in office and that Jagdeo and the PPP/C were seeking legal advice on the matter.
Many of the unsuspecting targets of the PPP/C, with their lack of foresight and ‘ego grandiose’ challenged Corbin to provide evidence to support his claim, but fail to seek the truth, themselves.
However, it was not long after it was reported in the press that a senior and known member of the PPP/C was recruited by that party and Jagdeo to look into the possibility of the ‘Jagdeo‘s term extension’.
This exposure caused much confusion in the camp and they began to again deny any involvement. Nevertheless, as fate would have it, the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), did confirmed that advice was sought by the PPP/C on the possibility of an extension of the President’s term.
As if to put icing on the ‘operation extension term’ plot, less than two weeks ago, Jud Lohmeyer, the fired OLPF project coordinator, Office of the President employee and confidante of the government, told the press that Jagdeo’s intention is to stay in office and preside over those ‘big money’ projects, he just started.
The PPP/C is an equal partner, and a supportive one, in this scheme. After GECOM’s pronouncement and now, Lohmeyer’s disclosure, the PPP/C and Jagdeo have become numb on the issue.
In fact, they have employed a diversionary tactic to have Jagdeo give a speech at Babu John to ignite racial strife and instill fear, their usual trump cards. However, it will not work people are too suspicious of them, are too concerned about their safety and too taken up with the issue of feeding their families.
The point is Guyanese are overcome by issues key to their survival, and too concerned about the massive corruption which has taken root in this PPP/C regime.
Nevertheless, the stockpiles of lies continue, as the PPP/C play games and try to fool Guyanese that they are seriously considering naming a presidential candidate, the fact is they are now pandering with what other plot they can hatch up to force Jagdeo on Guyanese, who already are fed up with his and his party’s lawlessness.
As an indication that they will not let up on pushing for ‘operation extension of term’ for Jagdeo, the PPP/C in a sudden rage, on March 16, 2011 issued a press statement, in which it states that the party is concerned that GECOM will not be able to meet its mandate to hold elections, by the constitutional due date, because Commissioners appointed by the opposition are absent from GECOM meetings.
They specifically claim that GECOM was not meeting because of this absence of Commissioners and therefore the up coming claims and objection period will be affected.
The Chairman of GECOM Dr. Surujbally, the next day fired back and vehemently debunked the PPP/C’s claims he stated that: “preparations are ‘on track’ for this year’s election…”
He stressed, “I can guarantee you…that we are on track,” Surujbally went on, “At this point in time I am not in the least worried.”, so the GECOM blame was dismissed and again the plot blew-up in the PPP/C face. This plan was deemed mischievous and the PNCR dubbed it a smoke screen.
What is left for the PPP/C? Let us continue to pay careful attention to this public drama and take time to recognise the surrounding details and the separate but not mutually exclusive scenes.
I, personally, believe that there is more ‘in the mata that meets the eye’ here, so let’s examine the details as they unfold, Guyana is in for high drama in this election year. We have seen Minister of Home Affairs, Clement Rohee, display a high-powered fire engine to the nation and informed us of the powerful force with which it releases water.
The equipment he boasted was brought in for elections to deal with any eventuality. Was this used to drive fear, and promote the PPP/C’s agenda?
The wind of change is blowing in Guyana, and the PPP/C has recognised this, they seemed bent on doing everything in their power to stall that change, even if it means attacking the intellect of our young, and beating the drums of race hate, as Jagdeo’s recent call at Babu John was intended to do.
However, this strategy is too archaic; people will no longer be taken for a ride.
Let us, however, await the new mantra!
As a people, we must be conscious of efforts on the part of the oppressors to continue to try to throw sand in our eyes. I thus, urge every eligible voter to pick up his/her ID card, as soon as possible.
I would like to remind those unregistered voters to ensure that they equip themselves with the relevant source documents and get in line to get registered during the Claims and Objections period, scheduled to start in April, but will last for a few weeks, only.
Let us all equip ourselves to be active participants in the move to bring about that real and meaningful change which must come to Guyana in 2011.
Lurlene Nestor

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