Do you think we can survive with a racial vote?

Jan 27, 2020 Letters

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DEAR EDITOR,

My brother Michael, who played cricket at Queen’s College, told my friends and me about meeting Rohan Kanhai after Kanhai’s poor performance at Bourda. Hearing the disappointment of schoolboys who sacrificed their meager allowance to see him, Kanhai promised them a century in the next match in Barbados. Kanhai kept his promise and was redeemed by his courage, resilience, mettle and dedication to keeping his word to some young boys whom he had disappointed.
Now, when we look at the PPP/C, their record shows that they lost the majority for reasons you need to analyse for yourself. And regardless of your conclusion, one should expect the PPP/C to take steps to address their inadequacies and emerge with at least the semblance of a plan to compensate for losing the majority and betraying their constituents. Let’s review the PPP/C rally, and you decide whether this party is worthy of your vote. Here are some excerpts from the address by the General Secretary of the PPP/C, former President Bharrat Jagdeo, as reported in another newspaper on January 13, 2020:
‘“He [President Granger] doesn’t make decisions…”
Is this the statement of someone who cares for his audience and his message? President Granger decided to run for re-election; President Granger decided the date of election. President Granger does make decisions. Former President Jagdeo should know that statements can reflect the speaker’s sloppiness when they are not supported with concrete example and/or facts.
“… He doesn’t even read the document he has… After so much depends on oil and gas and he says he never read the contract.”
If you are okay with this construct, that is fine. However, contracts, even though they are read, may be meaningless unless someone who is versed in these contracts interprets them. Former President Jagdeo was at the helm when the contract for “new” and now defunct Skeldon Sugar Factory was commissioned. If former President Jagdeo read the contract for the construction of the Skeldon Sugar Factory and understood all that it entails, then he can he explain Kaieteur News. (5/21/2017) headline “Guyana burdened with US$43M Skeldon factory debt until 2033” that was incurred during his presidency.
“He wants to go to sleep at 8 o’clock in the night; presidents can’t sleep at 8’o clock in the night, …”
And if he did go to bed at 8 P.M, what time did he get out of bed? Does he know that Granger begins his email correspondence at 4 A.M? One should also remember that President Granger was battling cancer and going to bed as early as was dictated by the circumstances. Thankfully, President Granger won his battle with cancer. However, it is ironic that this is a railing point against recuperating President Granger when Kaieteur News (March 4, 2014) writes, “Jagdeo used luxury jet, not air ambulance for medevac.”
“’… they have work to do, you can’t just be cutting ribbons and [sic] open [ing] arches and landing with helicopter, you have to roll up your sleeve[s] and work. That’s the only way this country will make progress,’ Jagdeo said.”
Trite statements like rolling up one’s sleeves and working as the only way this country will make progress” are just empty rhetoric that is intended to be evocative. Let us look at the debt that the former government has left us as of May 2015:
1. US$150M Skeldon factory debt to be paid by 2033
2. NIS was bankrupted
3. Rice Marketing Board was bankrupted
4. PetroCaribe fund had zero balance
5. The PPP/C was sued and the Caribbean Court of Justice awarded US$100 million to the plaintiffs; President Granger has arranged payment to these plaintiffs on behalf of the Guyana Government.
6. GuySuCo owed the Guyana treasury over US$400 million
7. Loan investment to repay for the Marriott Hotel and the Berbice Bridge
8. Loan for the Amaila Falls Hydro Project
9. Loans for a new international airport – CJIA
Ignoring these facts, former President Jagdeo continues:
“… persons of every race have a right to prosperity and the PPP/C is the only party that can deliver this for all of our people and because of that we will not only win power on March 2, we will stay in power for another 20, 30, 40 years in the future [sic].”
Now that he has promised you the pie in the sky, will someone please ask him the details of how he hopes to achieve prosperity for all? Don’t be surprised when he responds —”you will hear the details after you elect me.”
Then, asking — “Do we want another low energy president in this country?” and the crowd responded: “No!”
Well, surprise! Another newspaper (October 5, 2018) writes, “PPP/C withdraws Wakenaam candidates over “dead” ‘migrant’ nominators.” And if that is not enough, here is an example of his insensitive bumbling: “Jagdeo hailed the PPP/C presidential candidate Irfaan Ali saying that despite his size, he has a tonne of energy.” If you are a fan of former President Jagdeo, interpret his statement to show how he is not ‘belittling’ his newest protégé.
Former President Jagdeo continues, “That’s what we need, we don’t need a president who is aloof. Even with his own supporters he will not stop to take a picture with them, he is coming around now because of elections,” referring to Granger.
I take umbrage with former president Jagdeo because he squandered his opportunity to select a noble and worthy candidate in Dr. Frank Anthony – see another newspaper January 12, 2017 article “The PPP did not have the courage to elect Frank Anthony as General Secretary.” I have written that former president Jagdeo “was my hero when he signed the agreement with Norway to protect Guyana’s forest. But somewhere along the line, things changed as he was accused of becoming a different being. I do not know the truth in those accusations, but I have read that, because his marriage was not registered, his wife was not entitled to a pension. All the witnesses to his marriage, photographs of his wedding, he living with his wife, his wife being presented as the First Lady of Guyana etc. did not mean anything to him” Kaieteur News August 30, 2016. Dem Boys from Kaieteur News, impressed with my letter, cited my concerns on August 31, 2016.
Many of you have relatives or know someone who suffered because of the collapse of the sugar industry that snowballed during Jagdeo’s and his protégé’s time of governance. President Granger had an open door so that former President Jagdeo can address any of his concerns, but this offer was never realised. This leads to one to ask: What steps did Jagdeo take to alleviate the suffering of his constituents? What did he propose? Did he ever advocate that his constituents have access to the land for sharecropping while means of resuscitating the industry is being explored? And the list can go on. Now I go back to cricket.
Our great Rohan Kanhai redeemed himself because he did not only let down some schoolboys but his team and his country. It is that team, with Lance Gibbs, Basil Butcher and others, that showed us we can take on Great Britain and the world and win. They showed what we can accomplish when we work together. Remember, Barak Obama did not win his presidency because of a racial vote. Many whites, who are the majority in America, saw Obama as a good man. Even immigrants of Indian ancestry voted for Obama. They, like millions of Americans, made the right choice, and they know it now more than ever. Do you think we, Guyana, can survive with a racial vote?
Sincerely,
Stanley Niamatali

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