The coalition made Charrandass a hero

Jan 07, 2019 Letters

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Dear Editor,
A lot have been said about the Charrandass “Yes” Vote, to bring the gov’t down, whether he voted by conscience or inducement from the PPP. The coalition made him a hero.
They continue to make him a super hero, by challenging the decision of Parliament and pretending that they do not understand that 33 is bigger than 32, theorizing with arithmetic, the same constitution prevailed for so many years, which set a precedence.
They are destroying their chance of winning an election, so no more arithmetic. Show the voting public that you are ready to abide with the outcome of the no confidence vote and no more greed for power. You blew it. The PPP won.
What I do not understand, at Charrandass budget speech, his body language, his psyche, the content of his speech shows that he is on his coalition side, but in a few days what gratification of his impulses, what inducements changed his mind to vote with the PPP? Is conscience so vulnerable, so fragile?
The following are some of the reasons from the public, which the coalition is aware, that make Charrandass a hero and the coalition a replica of the PPP:
1)Power in the hands of the irresponsible is a highly volatile commodity. It blinds them to reality, thinks that they are above God and the people who supported them.
2)The power holders speak to the people who helped to put them there with a tone of disrespect. They knew everything better than anyone else, not open to weighing and considering, compare and contrast. Charrandass said to me about a year ago, that the front benchers are too far front; they do not listen, they know everything and that it looks like he is a Yes man.
3)The coalition did not only take power from the PPP, they took Jagdeo’s arrogance, treat people like untouchables, took Jagdeo’s unruly horse, corruption, favoritism to a few friends, family and activists and those with integrity was branded with ‘arrogance’
4) Dr Jagdeo worked for the PNC at the Ministry of Finance (MOF) before 1992. He knew the modus operandi and allegations of corruptions at MOF, because MOF deals with money ie Finance. Dr. Jagdeo kept all the PNC staff at MOF, and when the Coalition won the election, they keep all the PNC/Jagdeo staff and made Winston Jordan Minister of Finance. The same game because of the same players.
This would explain why no one is being convicted on the forensic audit. The same players, the guys at MOF might be implicated. Further, Dr. Jagan borrowed me from the Gov’t of Canada to head the PEIP, an IDB programme which was approved in 1989 during the PNC govt, when Min Jordan was the Budget advisor.
In my opinion, the US$52m for PEIP was about six times more than the scope of work.
5)The drug bond issue, a house, a place unfit and underused for drugs, was bought by a coalition activist with Government money, and the government is renting it for $12m per month from him. How shameful?
To add, three members of the coalition investigated and approved the bond as a standby.
6) Min. Harmon was in China with a Jagdeo boy, B.K Tiwari, who previously had a truck selling food to pork knockers, struggling to live, became multi-millionaire and Min Harmon wants to make him an advisor to the Minister of Business. He advised the GRA not to charge duty on some trucks.
Min. Harmon saw a cheque paid for the US$5m as balance of payment for GTT. He could not remember the name. He should be fired by a good manger, the President.
7) The procurement commission left out known people of integrity, Guyanese, and imported a Jamaican. That uses Guyana’s limited foreign exchange. What happened to people of known integrity like Chris Ram and Anand Goolsarran? Should the people construe that integrity is not needed?
8) The IFMAS Min Jordan. We stood on Jagdeo stomach for not implementing the two modules that deals with Transparency and Accountability. What have the coalition done? Is it not urgent anymore? Is it because the coalition is a replica of the PPP?
9)What about the constitutional reform and the rest of the manifesto promises?
10) The oil is the peoples own. Why hide the contract like the PPP did? Why hide the US$18m signing bonus? Why not revisit the oil contract, a call of the people, especially that the reputation of the oil companies in other countries when the oil is gone and the people remain poor?
Only the oil boom in the 70’s changed Trinidad a little, but still so many people are poor. May be corruption by the politicians and their friends and mismanagement, poor contract arrangement, because the politicians’ conscience are tied under the table. Dem boys probably unloose Persaud’s conscience. If he joins the PPP or speak for the PPP then he is a Harcati.
11)What about the Hamilton Green pension increase? A man who does not have a good reputation among the Indians and educated Afro Guyanese. These are voters Prez.
12) Creating a ministry of Citizenship by breaking up the Home Affairs Ministry, and failing to choose the GECOM Chairman from a list of 18 persons is politically incorrect and suicidal. The President technically sent a message that the election might be rigged. The challenge to the no confidence vote, is envisaged as buying time to set up the rigging mechanics.
13) The present so called impasse on the no confidence vote, is further destroying the coalition. The people are saying that “the PNC does not want to give up power. Even a layman knows that 33 is higher than 32; it is better they vote for Jagdeo, because he give up power easy, although we know that all the politicians want to get their hands on the oil money”.
14) I fully support the increase of the ministers’ salary, because of their social status change and it cost a lot to be on stage. But the pension and salary of the President should be reduced, so should the salary for the PM and Attorney General. These are some of the items to be corrected when we win the elections. It did not happen.
17) The government is right to close the sugar factory. Sugar is failing in the world; people prefer healthy sweeteners, like beet etc. Trinidad closed their sugar factories like Brechin Castle, Caroni, St Madeline etc, but they provided for the workers, a four-day per week work, to assist to maintain government assets, to weed dams and trenches, clean and paint buildings etc.
The coalition is criminal by dumping the sugar workers with nothing to do for survival and not even give them their severance pay. This is largely Indians workers, and it send a very bad message of racial decision. I know the decision was not a racial one.
18) When myself then Ramjattan then Ramkarran, criticized our own PPP at that time, for value for money and all the same reasons that motivated Charrandass to vote ‘YES, YES, YES’, were we Judas? Were we Traitors or we cared for the people? I wrote an 11-page letter to Jagdeo then, appealing to him for his own reputation to act prudent, for people not to think he is corrupt, be transparent and accountable, live to Dr. Jagan ideals.
Instead, I was technically fired. Dr. Jagan died March 6, 1997 and a letter dated March 7/1997 terminated my services. Charrandass took the same stand as us; his conscience speaks, whether motivated by inducements. He is called a Judas, traitor and fired, by the same people who had a conscience then. Does politics or power eat our conscience?
Yours Sincerely,
Joe Persaud P. ENG, CSCE,EIC

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