Mr. Kissoon is revealing a tendency to malice that I never detected before

Jun 07, 2020 Letters

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Dear Editor,

In my most recent response to columnist Freddie Kissoon, I had intended to let him have the last word. And had not until now returned to the subject. Today however, he has taken our conversation to a different level by describing me as “giving support to” the present chairperson of the Guyana Elections Commission. He called my support unashamed.
Under the Guyana constitution the Chairperson of the GEOCOM, described as Chairman of the Guyana Elections Commission is selected after consultation between the two most powerful political actors in the Republic, namely the President of Guyana and the Leader of the Opposition. Other persons including me have no responsibility in the filling of this office.
I remember responding to Freddie Kissoon’s invitation to me to condemn the newly appointed chairperson of GEOCOM by saying that I accepted or respected her public undertaking to deliver a fair election to the Guyanese people.
I also remember wondering whether the officials responsible for appointing her had taken the trouble to ensure the respective bodies of supporters to act in such a way as not to frustrate the aspirations of the GECOM head for a fair election. I used different words but this was my clear meaning.
My immediate concern is for the reputation of the recently elected head of the Guyana Elections Commission. Let me explain this. The whole commission is acting in relation to the March 2 Elections in a very charged local and international atmosphere. My fear is that Freddie Kissoon may prejudice the chairperson’s reputation by selecting me, a 95 year old activist with a lot of baggage, as a supporter of this official.
I believe that in doing this, Freddie Kissoon is being very deliberate.
Over the years, I, the supposed supporter, and the only supporter named of the head of the Elections Commission have been labelled as “Guyana’s leading racist”, “partitionist”, “extremist”, and by a leading member of the PPP someone who has “migrated” to the PNC.
During the 1980 election campaign boycotted by WPA, Mrs. Janet Jagan told an election meeting at Leonora, a village where WPA was very active, “ask Sidney King what he did at Wismar in 1964.” It should be noted that a report of the PPP appointed Commission into the Wismar Disturbances disclosed no involvement by me in the events reported.
Moreover, I had previously been described by Eyewitness, a writer in Guyana Times, as “chief cook and bottle washer” in the 1962 disturbances in Georgetown and by a reverend journalist in New York in the Guyana Journal as someone who had chained himself to a metal fence with a placard reading “partition or death.”
I state here for interested readers that there is no document, photograph, report or even rumour surrounding the 1962 disturbances implicating me as a reading of the Wynn Parry Commission report will easily establish. I had attempted to challenge the findings of “Eyewitness”, but refrained. I did respond to the Rev Seeopaul who insisted that he relied on his report. I have to say that I have no remedy if a journalist and man of faith cannot distinguish a very witty cartoon from a photograph in his charitable accusation of another person.
Mr. Kissoon may not understand what I mean when I say that I am a curious observer, from a great distance, of what I can hear and not read because of my impaired vision of the March 2 Elections and what followed it including the present recount process. I have heard some of the allegations of interested parties and I have heard opinions from public discussions that regard most of the officials concerned as acting according to rules. I do not think there is any doubt about what the Region 4 count is revealing or confirming allegations against a much discussed figure in the process but I do not regard it as my responsibility to rush to support Freddie Kissoon or any other person present in Guyana with allegations they feel empowered to make.
During my years of activity, I have never knowingly made allegations against persons without satisfying myself that these allegations were fair. As I have said or implied before, neither one side not the other seems to be solely responsible for violations of the process. As I see it now, only the smaller and new parties will ultimately be able to claim compliance with the letter and spirit of the electoral laws.
I began making the point that Mr. Kissoon in selecting me, a subject of much adverse comment as a supporter of the current chairperson of the Elections Commission is revealing a tendency to malice that I never detected before now.
Eusi Kwayana

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