Was Charrandass’ about-face really about conscience, or something more sinister?

Dec 24, 2018 Letters

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Dear Editor,
Conscience and principles are precious elements of the human psyche, while bribery is the ordinary common factor that ushers in most of the conditions of human misery in its consequences.
The just achieved PPP No Confidence Motion is a classic case study through what is emerging circumstantially about the now infamous former AFC Parliamentarian Charrandass Persaud. I would be surprised if there are no legal consequences in respect to Parliamentary practice to the coercing of a person to exhibit a last minute stab in the back to the highest Law making institution of the nation. A parliamentarian should be able to voice his position to his peers outside of Parliament.
There have been several precedents for such declarations of change of philosophy from political personalities over the years. Those persons did not run away driven by guilt, plan an escape beforehand nor in most cases wait for a parliament sitting to act out an obvious agenda, and then ‘run like ah rat’.
The former aspect of this sentence should be the criteria. There is enough evidence that a political section of our body politics has always resorted to bullying towards power, even for votes on GE day, when broke youth are given an advance and told to make a cell phone shoot of where they had placed their ‘X’ to receive the balance, which is negligible, but relevant if that’s all you have. The PPP is a desperate party that will stop at nothing to ascend to office rather than disappear.
The gloom of their presence is once more haunting our peace of mind; we must rectify it at the polls, and not be subject to the psychological warfare, we must then understand what happened with the infamous Persaud as what it is, nothing to do with conscience.
I learnt a lot about Politics from Tacuma Ogunseye among others. My professional training required practices that are not subject to my likes or dislikes or imaginations. One night at an ACDA meeting Ogunseye and I discussed my methods on understanding politics.
He shook his head at me and warned me that I was not ready for politics, but I also learnt that what holds the waywardness of politics in place are enforced laws and substantiated clarifications, so, my methods were also relevant.
Politics is not about friendships in most cases it’s about the purpose served. There are several examples of political unions – The Union head whose audit would have revealed his misfeasance, changed sides to escape. Among others not relevant at this point, David Hinds accused the Government, “Govt. has itself to blame, it was too drunk on power.” David has given misconceived perspectives before. I had responded to one such in early 2003. David has to be more grounded. Freddie Kissoon had accused him as one guilty of self betrayal and self destruction-
The Afro-Guyanese in Guyana, Mon. Kaieteur News 2010 implying David as in agreement with carrying Jagdeo into Buxton for a macabre visit. I have had several encounters with government ministers. I have advocated recognition for the Arts through Cultural Industries,[which David, Jagdeo is against] . In 2012 I prepared a document and hand delivered it to both Ashni Singh and Frank Anthony. I never even got any acknowledgement of receipt, though I checked and affirmed that it was delivered, not so after 2015, with concerns that took me to the Finance Minister, the Education Minister and the Minister of Communities and I had no such rejection. Where I received the power drunk indifference, it was with the subordinates, whose jobs it were to address the issue at hand, and many of those people were there for ten to fifteen years before 2015.
Today this government is inspiring a generation to job creation and independence, they have zero tolerance on much of the lawlessness of the past administration, making it obvious that all citizens are subject to the law. If you are unaware of these achievements then I must ponder, why so? How could the government be in control of someone’s mind? As a parent it’s impossible to predict every action my children will perform.
In closing there’s an anthropological reference that is obviously not taught in Political Science. A businessman I knew well before he served at GUYSUCO under the PPP in a conversation of diverse cultural ethics had told me the following, what some see as infra dig and spiritually offensive, other men adhering to their own cultural experience see as an opportunity.
Of course those opposing cultural lines are fading, manifesting now, here, there and everywhere.
Yours Respectfully,
Barrington Braithwaite

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