The AFC: Mandarins, mannequins, or maybe manatees?

Feb 05, 2019 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

Since the no confidence vote (NCV) on December 21, 2018, one has to look deeply into the annals of political speeches, political diatribes and political nonsense to see if there can be a comparison with what the AFC leaders have been saying the past month. My column of Friday, January 19, 2019, was captioned, “Each time the APNU+AFC leaders open their mouths, they self-destruct”.
The AFC has now far outdone APNU in its outlandish reaction to the NCV. In that Friday piece, I cited how Khemraj Ramjattan answered a journalist’s question on the status of Guyanese MPs who hold foreign citizenship. He said that the writ was asking the court to rule only on the illegality of Charrandass Persaud’s right to vote, since he has foreign nationality.
One would like to know if Ramjattan read the comments in the Stabroek News, of the lawyer who fought this aspect of the case for the government in the NCV saga. Neil Boston told the newspaper that based on the judge’s decision, the MPs with foreign citizenship should not remain in the House. Remember Ramjattan said the judge’s decision will only apply to Persaud. Now the government’s own lawyer said that the MPs with foreign citizenship should not be in parliament. Will Ramjattan apologize or let his remark remain and allow people to laugh?
Let’s look at more macabre reasoning from the AFC. Moses Nagamootoo in his Chronicle column of January 27, wrote; “Though the police would not give details, all indications are that the man (Charrandass Persaud) was bought), which made him cast what Guyanese widely believe to be an unlawful vote.” Is this observation, stupidity or ignorance?
If the police would not give details about Charrandass’ illegal involvement, then where are the “all indications” coming from? We as citizens pick up and transport information that comes from the police. We say that John Jones was in the nightclub at the time of the incident because the police listed him as an eyewitness. If the police would not give details, why doesn’t Nagamootoo provide these details so that we can denounce Persaud? We can forgive Nagamootoo for saying the vote was unlawful, because he mouthed off this stupidity without waiting to hear the verdict of the court.
Nagamootoo went on to say things about the financial dealings of Persaud that cannot be repeated here out of respect for libel laws. One would like to think that after reading what Nagamootoo wrote, Persaud would file his libel writ. Nagamootoo noted in that same article the following; “but our security forces have a plan to combat external aggressors as well as domestic terrorists”. So Guyana has domestic terrorists. This is one for the media to digest. But I guess Guyana has had a long tradition of domestic terrorism that dates back to the sixties when the PPP and PNC exchanged violent acts. Then after Independence, it continued with the PPP’s psychotic arsons on the sugar estates and the murder of one policeman and the wounding of another at the Corentyne toll station.
Interestingly, we have a President who was in the army when those arsons and toll station attacks were done, because the army was called in. And a Prime Minister who was in the war room of the PPP when those activities were perpetrated. Actually, Guyana would be shocked to know the two bigwigs from the PPP leadership at the time (1974), that were involved in the shooting of those two policemen.
The joke that the AFC has become, has allowed the nation to laugh at a time when we are concerned with political passions over-boiling. Ramjattan told the media that the AFC’s popular support is intact and the AFC would expect the same 12 MPs and 7 ministers. My God! Can’t someone tell the AFC they’re looking like clowns? Twelve (12) seats come from 72,000 votes. No third party in the history of Guyana has ever polled 60,000 votes. Not even The United Force in the sixties, which was a popular, wealthy and strong third force.
Finally, the man who parted the sea in Robb Street to become Prime Minister has just parted the sea in the AFC. The AFC’s leader has endorsed Nagamootoo for the PM slot in the next general election. There is a DPI bulletin, which quotes Nagamootoo as saying he is happy to receive his party’s endorsement. But the AFC said the party made no such endorsement. And Ramjattan looks likely to part the sea that Moses is bathing in. On Sunday, Ramjattan declared he would accept his party’s nomination for the PM’s slot. What or who really is the AFC?

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The AFC: Mandarins, mannequins, or maybe manatees?

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