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My Guyanese personality for 2011

Jan 04, 2012 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

Since I became a columnist in 1988, I have selected for my column, the Guyanese of the year. A few times, my pick went beyond one person. We all have our choices. They are based on our perspectives.
This newspaper chose among others Priya Manickchand and the Chief Justice (ag), Ian Chang. No doubt the paper was satisfied with its criteria. I would not have chosen any Minister of the Government given what the OAS and Commonwealth Observer missions said about the use of state resources and the state media in the 2011 election campaign.
You cannot justify John’s action in a rape case even though when his friends brought the victim home, he did not participate. He watched a heinous crime committed, was there to see it, and did not reject it. The fact that he did not take part does not exonerate him morally or legally. I would not have opted for Justice Chang either but we are all entitled to our right to choose.
My Guyanese person for 2011 is split between attorney Nigel Hughes and politician Moses Nagamootoo. I start with Hughes. When I got sued by President Jagdeo for libel, I went to Nigel Hughes and told him I would be happy for his involvement because I believe Jagdeo wanted to get at me.
He told me not to worry, he would help but the trial is a long way off.  It so happened the date for hearing surprised all of us. I went back to Nigel. He said he will defend me pro bono.
I gave him a seventy-five page research essay that in my mind had the evidence to prove that the Guyanese State had discriminated against African-Guyanese. He read it and advised me to leave it to him. The case began and Mr. Jagdeo’s lawyer dispensed with his first witness, Dr. Roger Luncheon, after one hour. Then for the next five days, Nigel Hughes put Luncheon under cross-examination.
If one ever wanted to see the brilliance of a lawyer one had to be in that courtroom to see Hughes perform.
I had no idea what Nigel Hughes was up to. But as the cross examination began so was the education of a nation. In putting five days of questions to Luncheon, Nigel Hughes opened the eyes of the CARICOM countries and most important the eyes of the Guyanese people.
From day one of the trial, I was besieged everywhere I went by Guyanese of all walks. The comments on Hughes were staggering. People thought he was the world’s most brilliant lawyer. They would come up to me and say, “Boy, Nigel destroy de government,” “Is wuh Nigel do to Jagdeo?” And it went on like that.
In the end, Nigel Hughes did for the consciousness of this nation what the entire opposition couldn’t do. I believe his court appearance was responsible for the large turnout of Georgetown voters in the November elections.
Next is Moses Nagamootoo. He has taken his place in the history books. Only Forbes Burnham and Cheddi Jagan would citizens have voted for. Outside of those two men, people give their ballots to the two major racially based parties. They chose and will choose “the party.”
In the November 2011 national elections, no one from the PPP got East Indian votes because of who they were except Moses Nagamootoo in Region Six, his home turf.
The folks in Berbice did not vote for the AFC, they voted for Moses Nagamootoo.
The Guyanese biblical figure has chalked up a unique piece of history. He undermined the invincibility and omnipotence of the PPP. No one has done that, no one could do that. In 2011 Nagamootoo did it. In Region Six, Moses got 11,000 ballots and 43 percent (that’s almost half) of the Region Six electorate did not go to the poll stations.
Gerhard Ramsaroop showed me how it was not possible to say that the voters were not there physically in Berbice. When you take the period between registration and November 28, 2011 that number of Berbicians could not have migrated in such a short time.
In the heartland of the PPP, Moses caused the PPP to lose more than half of its ballots when you take into consideration what AFC got and the absentees. It meant that Berbicians saw Nagamootoo in a more positive light than any other living PPP leader. Portia Simpson won in Jamaica at age 66. Moses will be just one year over that in 2016. He and Nigel Hughes should lead the AFC into the next election. They have both written their names in history.

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