Above the law

Nov 16, 2011 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

The editorials for both independent dailies yesterday were harsh on President Jagdeo. In the Stabroek News, in response to the complaint by PPP Hydar Ally (Secretary to the Executive Committee of the PPP) that the students were rude and rowdy at last Thursday’s presidential debate, made the following observation; “(Mr. Ally) would do well to remember that we continue to endure far more shocking demonstrations of inappropriate conduct from President Jagdeo himself this elections (sic) season.”
This may appear to be just another editorial comment (no doubt referring to the cuss down style of the President) but there is a much larger picture of danger that can be drawn from this editorial judgement of the Stabroek News.
It exposes a young nation to see the hypocrisy of the people whose offices they should respect and those people that they should also look up to.
It amounts to barefacedness of the worst kind that a leader of the PPP can chastise students for unbecoming behaviour at the country’s only University but at that very University, top governmental officials that these students should respect, descended upon it in October and behaved in the most atrocious way demanding the illegal dismissal of those students’ lecturers who hold valid contracts. I have already written about this madness several times so let’s move on.
We come to an incisive analysis in the editorial of this newspaper yesterday captioned; “When abuse becomes the norm.” The editorial remarked about President Jagdeo’s cuss down style and wisely observed that; “…they have also singled out people for abuse to the point that there are those who may be inclined to do these people harm.” I ask the question – could this have happened long before the election season started?
Mr. Jagdeo was relentless in his attack on me at his press conferences. I was openly called, “man-kisser,” “sleaze ball,” “ugly,” among other opprobrious appellations. Then I was attacked one evening and covered with a nasty, poisonous miasmic substance.
Could this have been an episode that resulted from incitement many more of which are to come as the vitriol keeps pouring out? Should the society not be concerned for the safety of two of its finest citizens – Nigel Hughes and Moses Nagamootoo?
The venom directed against them by Mr. Jagdeo is relentless and Mr. Jagdeo indicated in Stewartville last Sunday that his cuss down bandwagon may be shifting into overdrive.
Here is another section of that trenchant editorial from the Kaieteur News that is worth reflecting on. “Indeed, he must be above the law because the PPPC candidate Donald Ramotar clearly stated that despite the fact that his party has signed a code of conduct he cannot constrain President Jagdeo to adhere to the code. This means that the President is beyond the law.”
There are two implications that are contained in this admission by Mr. Ramotar. One is obvious as this newspaper stated – President Jagdeo is above the law. The editorial went on to bemoan the President calling Mr. Nigel Hughes a racist but sued this writer for an academic paper that made the same claim against Mr. Jagdeo.
The other meaning in Mr. Ramotar’s statement which PPP leaders may not have come to grips with as yet or cannot do anything about even if they are aware of the dangers involved is that Mr. Jagdeo’s deportment may likely cause electoral defeat for the PPP. At least the cuss-down style contains the seeds of trouble
It is said that per capita, Guyana has one of, if not the highest road accident fatalities in the world. It is said that per capita, Guyana has one of, if not the highest migrates rates in the world.
What is hardly mentioned is that per capita Guyana may have the largest amount of places of worship in the world be they Christian, Muslim Hindu, or others. This is a very religious nation. Does a cuss-down style go down well with such a population? The trouble the PPP is having is that there isn’t a similar approach by the opposition at all, especially APNU.
What judgement will young people come to when they see their President campaigning for his party to have another five years of power and he openly proclaims that; “I am in a cuss down mood.” Why would such an unbecoming attitude not rifle their mental perceptions of the President and his party?
It doesn’t look like it will stop because Mr. Jagdeo has been at it since the campaign began. One just has to hope and pray that Messrs Hughes, Nagamootoo and others just carry on without harm coming to them.

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Above the law

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