Why did Roger Luncheon do it?

Oct 29, 2018 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

I choose to respond to this particular email because I think it holds theoretical importance for understanding the contextual fall of the PPP. I did respond to the sender to say that instead of replying directly, I will answer him in the form of a column and will alert him after publication.
The gentleman indicated that he always wanted to ask me a few questions about Roger Luncheon and after reading my Monday, October 15 column he decided to contact me. In that column, I made reference to Luncheon’s reaction to Manickchand’s disgraceful behaviour at the Independence Day celebration at the home of the US Ambassador.
Luncheon supportively described Manickchand’s emanation as a “feral blast.” The email sender is curious to have my thoughts on Luncheon and why he echoed the “feral blast” statement.
The email sender explained that he is a businessman who left Guyana in the eighties and settled in the US. He first met Luncheon in 1994 to discuss his investment. During the life of the PPP government under different presidents he said he interfaced meaningfully with Luncheon countless times.
He is of the conclusion that apart from Cheddi Jagan, Roger Luncheon is the best leader the PPP founded and he is of the opinion that he is one of the better politicians Guyana produced.
It was a long email in which I honestly didn’t want to reply to directly because it is a portrayal of a politician I didn’t maintain a relationship with after he became the second most powerful man in government after 1992, thus I didn’t know Roger Luncheon, the power-holder.
I did know Roger very well before 1992 and my wife thought he was a nice, down-to-earth fellow. Up to this day she refers to her memory of him riding his bicycle to the Georgetown Hospital where he worked as a doctor.
My column here is my answers to the two questions he asked me – what do I think of Luncheon and why Luncheon made that awful remark. He admires and respects Luncheon which came out of their long interactions from 1994.
People change when they have power. My favourite PPP person is Anil Nandlall because of what I knew about him before he became a PPP big wig. He had good qualities of modesty and working class temperament. He was a people’s person. Anil became a hierarchical player in the PPP’s kingdom. I, as a critic of unbridled power parted with Anil.
I am not going to give my impressions of Luncheon because I did not know the man who became second in charge. I can only judge him, as I have judged Anil based on the nature of the government they belonged to.
Luncheon and Nandlall belonged to a government that did horrible things to me, my family and my country. I never saw Luncheon to speak to after my contract termination from UG in 2012 but I knew Anil’s wife very well and I told her in front of her home, I expected Anil to voice his disapproval of Government’s decision to remove me from UG. I am not at liberty to publish her reaction.
In this column I prefer to discuss the other question – the “feral blast” mistake. There is no question in my mind whatsoever that after successive election victories since 1992, the entire PPP party – first and second tier leaders- saw the PPP as being invincible and could not possible lose general elections. PPP leaders considered themselves special Guyanese who were invincible.
Such circumstances have to breed power obsession. The PPP leaders with the exception of Cheddi Jagan – became driven by maximum power. Opposition Leader, Desmond Hoyte and President Jagdeo sat down to talk in what the press called the National Dialogue while Guyana was in the throes of post election violence after the 1997 elections.
The confabulation broke up after Luncheon, a member of the government’s delegation said to Hoyte, “Comrade, you are addressing the “ruling party.” Hoyte felt insulted because he believed that there was no power advantage in the talks – it was two sides wanting to come up with a solution to the crisis.
So finally, why did Luncheon praise that stupid thing that Manickchand did by an equally stupid act of his part? Because he was displaying the power of invincibility.
Luncheon was not in the least concerned that the US would retaliate because the PPP was in power and the PPP will always be in power. Why then should he be bothered with how the US felt about what he said? Well it didn’t turn out the way Luncheon saw it.

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Why did Roger Luncheon do it?

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