The President putting his stamp of command on things

May 04, 2020 Letters

DEAR EDITOR,
I read of the President making his move and putting his stamp of authority within the reputed stormy confines of his party. Unlike the opposition leader, his party and its people are not at Mr. Granger’s beck and call or his to beat into submission since he has to watch over his shoulder constantly and ward off antagonist almost as much. Now, after the longest deliberation, he has made no bones about letting everyone know – be they internal challengers, general hardliners, or calculating pretenders – as where he stands and where they stand.
It is that he is the leader, he is in charge, and he is in full command. A couple of senior men have been rechannelled and find themselves slightly on the periphery of internal power dynamics. That the President has moved against a longstanding squaddie speaks volumes. The same can be said with respect to another veteran from way back, who did indicate that his priorities have changed. Now that rhyme may serve as a sweet cover story to the ears of those who find comfort in giving credence to such sanitized and cosmeticized public offerings. I don’t. A man of that standing does not give up a lifetime of devoted involvement in party politics, due to circumstances less than endangering, or for the minutiae of dual citizenship, just like that, and particularly at this hour. I am not persuaded.
I think that the big man came out on top in whatever clash(es) may have unfolded within the confines of Congress Place. Taken together, the word is-at least, that which a number of outsiders would like to believe, myself included-is that the President is keen and committed to getting this electoral impasse over and done within the cleanest and most credible manner possible. I am all for that and wish him well; I am only that, to be very clear I think, at the same time, the party leader is sending several strong messages to other Machiavellian visionaries with the PNC. The first is: don’t mess with me; the second is: be on your Ps and Qs and be careful with steps and positions; and, last, it is that there are no untouchables.
Thus, I sense the long-delayed crack of the whip, the removal of the dissident, and his repositioning for possible further moves on his large board, should circumstances so warrant. As I ponder the developments involving some others, including a rising star within the party also sent out, I consider that more of a strategic arrangement with a rebound in the making at the appropriate time. War games, they may not be; but definitely, there is a strong scent of chess about some of these personnel rearranging. I saw that as necessary, as a few had bulked up beyond healthy weight limits and overreached dangerously. They tilted the scales of discretion too far into unfavourable and unplayable territory. Now they have been made examples, both internally and externally.
I am hoping to read of more such developments, as there is a platoon of the hardheaded and stonehearted, who have been around since day 1 and have outlived their contributions and any utility that they once may have had. In spite of all the technological development and their omniscient capabilities, there was still insistence and dependence on the old Dark Age political practices that yielded so much rewarding electoral fruit in the last century.
As today’s realities can attest, those days are gone. So, they must now get with the modern-day programmes that prevail relative to elections or get going. I think that the President did just that with some of his own beloved folk. May better, cleaner times come, as we go deeper into May.
Sincerely,
GHK Lall

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News