PPP complains it is threatened but issues threats too

Dec 30, 2015 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Guyanese should be deeply concerned and troubled by the overbearing vindictive and vengeful influence being exerted on the Granger administration by a group of known individuals who are bent on pushing the Granger administration to take extremist positions that can ignite a fire under the racial cauldron.
Regrettably, there are some in the APNU+AFC coalition administration who are sympathetic to this extremist ideology which has a strong anti-Indian, racist component being peddled by that particular group of individuals who claim to feel a “sense of frustration and betrayal”.
At the knob of their “frustration and betrayal” is their inability, thus far, to gain a tactical advantage over the Granger administration by pushing their extremist, vengeful agenda even threatening the administration that “if they don’t act in the new year” their inaction can undo all their “excellent achievements.”
By this means, they seek to capture the public’s attention and rally support around their selfish, hostile game plan of playing on the antagonistic passions of the supporters of the APNU+AFC and to lure them into accepting their impoverished and divisive discourse as well as the supremacy of their perspective.
Tacuma Ogunseye, Clive Thomas, David Hinds, Lincoln Lewis and Eric Phillips are the most prominent and belligerent of the lot. They resemble an assembled posse who have set themselves the task of going after the jugular of an number of PPP/C persons who they hate and despise for a combination of reasons but fundamentally, for political and ideologically reasons. This gang is exerting every effort to utilize the coercive apparatus of the state to achieve their vengeful and vindictive ambitions.
What they could not achieve in the past, by threats of armed rebellion and as “freedom fighters” against the PPP/C Indian “coolie” government, now, with an urban based, black-dominated upper middle-class elite in power, this cabal, through the use of threats and intimidation seeks to force the Granger administration to resort to vengeful and race-based instruments to achieve their objectives.
Posturing at the same time as consummate apologists for the Granger administration they claim that; “The PPP/C administration left major challenges for the new government to resolve.” and that; “Most of the challenges are grave and are impossible for any new government to resolve in the short term.”
Introducing a plethora of anecdotal generalizations and impervious to evidence, Ogunseye for his part, sought to impose as factual and truthful his group’s single-valued interest as a public interest.
He offers not a single shred of scientific evidence or statistical data to corroborate his call for the Granger administration to pursue his vendetta. For example, Ogunseye claims that the APNU+AFC coalition came to power; “At a point in the country’s history of unprecedented social, economic and political crisis.” But Ogunseye should be reminded of the McIntyre Report which analyzed Guyana’s economic decline during the 1985-1991period. That Report stated;
“Real GDP had declined by an average ten percent in 1982-1983 as a result of sharp contractions in the bauxite sector and decline and stagnation in most other productive sectors.  Economic decline eased up in 1984, but the economy remained stagnant through 1987 with a per capita gross domestic product of only US$500.  Guyana was one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere.”
The report added: “There was a steep increase in commercial arrears and the total public sector external debt reached almost US$1.9 billion by 1989 or more than twice its level at the beginning of the 1980’s.  Measured by the usual indicators of debt to GDP and debt to exports, Guyana became one of the most heavily indebted countries in the world.”
Is this the “crisis situation” Ogunseye refers to when the APNU+AFC attained office in May 2015?The red herrings Ogunseye threw into his “analysis” through his foolish assertion that the  PPP/C mobilized its “supporters to squat on government lands on the East Coast”; “encouraged sugar workers to down tools”, and is “exploiting historic racial insecurity” isaimed at justifying his call for the Granger administration to “take appropriate action in the New Year….”
Ogunseye‘ calls on the Granger administration to: “Bring an end to the retreat in its publicly stated policy to bring justice to wrong- doers of the previous regime.” He goes on to dictate to the Granger administration to “charge and prosecute PPP wrong- doers”
But Ogunseye doesn’t stop there he demands: “A mental boost for APNU+AFC supporters who are outraged and angered by the apparent reluctance by the APNU+AFC government to bring the PPP/C wrong doers to justice.”
He claims that APNU+AFC supporters view the non-action by the Granger administration as a indication of “political weakness” because they had been led into believing that “justice would have been dispensed swiftly and fearlessly.” Consequently, Ogunseye laments that the APNU+AFC supporters are; “Deeply disappointed that this has not been the case and find it hard to understand why government is taking no initiative in this direction.” He therefore goes on to advise the Granger administration that they better “protect its self interest by going after the PPP/C wrong-doers”. There is no other way out of this growing political dilemma” he warns.
Assuming the role of an ideological mentor for the Granger administration, Ogunseye pushes the administration to lead a posse in the role of a Clint Eastwood and to “hang em high” for “crimes” committed but for which no evidence exists. Ogunseye urges the Granger administration to engage in political stalking and to round up those “found guilty” by his group.
As far as he is concerned; forget about a court of law, just unleash a series of political trials.  He sees no role for the criminal justice system and rejects the time bound principle that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty (not by Ogunseye or Clive Thomas or a section of the media but by a Court of Law).
Ogunseye must realize that political trials have grave political implications, particularly for a political party with thirty-two seats in the National Assembly; controlling seven of the ten Regions and with mass support and who are convinced that Gecom, acting in consort with operatives in the APNU and AFC cheated their party out of office. Hundreds of thousands in this country will have no difficulty believing that Ogunseye and his ilk found their special purpose in life, which is, to throw gasoline on a fire.
David Hinds and Tacuma Ogunseye are singing from the same hymn sheet after all they are both members of ACDA and the WPA which is part of the APNU. Hinds for his part, commenting on the recent huge salary increases gifted to government Ministers said; “Government misread the feelings of its supporters and this is worrying”.
This he claims, “Show that government is out of touch with realities on the ground.”
His colleague Ogunseye echoes similar sentiments but in the context of the need to “bring to justice the wrong doers of the PPP/C government.”In this connection, Ogunseye claims that;
“APNU+ AFC supporters are angered by the apparent reluctance of the government to respond in kind (to the PPP’s aggressive politics). He then asserts; “it would be a grave political mistake for the APNU+AFC leadership to underestimate its supporters’ demand for justice on behalf of the nation.”
What influence do these two individuals have on the Granger administration and Granger himself is anybody’s guess. They both want to achieve the same objective but from two different perspectives. This political extremism germinating within the APNU+AFC must be rejected. Ogunseye is correct when he said;”There is need for a correct assessment of the balance of the social and political forces in the country.”
The truth is, were this analysis to be done on a scientific bases it would certainly not give him much comfort nor would its outcome be supportive of his extremist, intolerant views.
I strongly recommend that Ogunseye and his ilk view the movie; ‘V’ for Vendetta.  Others who care to should do so. Produced and directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski; the moral of the movie is that unless people speak out and hold government accountable nothing is done to stop theft of their civil liberties.
The PPP will never allow the APNU+AFC government to strip the Guyanese people in general and the leaders, members and supporters of the PPP in particular of their civil and political rights.
Having had their fundamental right to elect a government of their choice stolen from them once again; the PPP will not now or ever allow the APNU+AFC nor the  extremist elements within and outside the coalition to deny it its Constitutional rights. The PPP fought too long and hard to now allow this travesty to come to pass.
Clement Rohee
General Secretary
People’s Progressive Party

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