15 years versus 15 months

Sep 04, 2016 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

It has been fifteen months since the new government of the APNU-AFC coalition came into power. One has to be stupid to call it an enlightened 15 months. It has been the worst fifteen months of any new government in the history of Guyana. The first 15 months of the PPP elected in 1957 was ordinary. The first 15 months of the PNC-UF coalition from 1964 was exciting. More exciting and the best so far were the first 15 months of the Desmond Hoyte presidency.
This was followed by the election of Dr. Cheddi Jagan in 1992, and that was a curious period, because the nation wanted to give Dr. Jagan a chance. Jagan’s first 15 months was not exciting but it was not depressing. Bharrat Jagdeo’s first 15 months was a curious period, because Jagdeo was a mysterious figure that just appeared on the scene. Ramotar’s first 15 months was a stagnated period because he was a minority president.
The historic APNU-AFC Coalition’s first 15 months has been a journey through fields of mediocrity, banality, corruptibility and utter bewilderment. How a government can drift from one jejune, embarrassing, self-destructive mistake to another without even a week of illumination and thoughtful direction for 15 consecutive months is beyond one’s imagination.
But there is a big BUT. But despite the concatenation of flaws, faults, and failures in the first 15 months of the Coalition Government, there is no parallel in Caribbean politics for what took place for 15 years under Bharrat Jagdeo and Donald Ramotar in Guyana. Speaking personally, I was not only revolted at the kleptocracy, financial cronyism, incestuous power-sharing, criminal conspiracies with drug traffickers and treasonable giveaways of the country’s resources among the PPP cabals, but the sickening display of philistinism in those 15 years.
As a trained academic at three universities, and that taught at UG for 26 years, I couldn’t believe my country and its young population would have had to endure the experience and humiliation of having a crude, uncouth mind becoming the Pro-Chancellor of the University. I am not referring to Dr. Prem Misir. This was philistinism beyond one’s wildest imagination. When Ramotar made that appointment I got goose bumps.
The bestial display of bad manners under Jagdeo and Ramotar has no parallel in modern, contemporary politics. Kellawan Lall was made Chairman of the Board of the most important investment institution, GO-Invest. The same Lall after a continuous display of ragged, violent behaviour was made Ambassador to Brazil. The President himself lied to the nation about his marital status, then, the woman told the world he mistreated her. It is simply unbelievable in the 21st century that such depraved conduct was never met with ostracization. On the contrary, the man continued as president and is now the official Opposition Leader.
A young man caught on tape molesting a little boy for his affection and undivided attention was put on the Rights of the Child Commission. He was then elevated in the Office of the President by both presidents – Jagdeo and Ramotar.
Mark Benschop has a tape in his possession in which the General Secretary of the PPP, Donald Ramotar in 2010 said that he believes strongly in moral politics and that he does not read the blogs of Kwame McCoy. When Ramotar became President, McCoy was elevated in status and power, and became a formidable figure in the corridors of power. It forces one to declare that Ramotar hasn’t a clue what moral politics is, still doesn’t know what it entails, and will never grasp its meaning.
The Minister of Education, Priya Manickchand while holding that portfolio, behaved atrociously at the Independence Day celebration at the residence of the US Ambassador. Far from being chastised for this obnoxiously loutish descent, one of her bosses, the Head of the Presidential Secretariat, Roger Luncheon, lauded her for her offensive deportment. He had a way of putting it that had tremendous Freudian underpinnings. He said that Manickchand gave the envoy a feral blast.
One would like to believe that at the time, Luncheon had no idea what the adjective, “feral” meant. Manickchand could no longer sue for libel if you told her subsequently that she had the instincts and predisposition of a wild animal.
These are the politicians from the PPP that are still in politics today. These are the politicians inside the PPP that want to return to power. These are the politicians in Guyana in the 21st century that want to administer the affairs of a country that has one of the youngest populations among the other nations of the world.
One should definitely end on a cynical note. If they get back in power, surely, philistinism will be on the public schools’ curriculum.

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One thought on “15 years versus 15 months”

Surujpaul Rampersaud September 4, 2016 at 12:57 pm

Mr. Kissoon, now that you have bashed ministers and personnel of the former regime, I now expect you to follow suit with the ministers and personnel of the present government exclusively. Please do so plainly and practically. There are are lots of the same to say.

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