GHK Lall’s position on the current electoral rigging is contradictory

Jul 15, 2020 Letters

Dear Editor,

Please permit me space to comment on GHK Lall’s letter which appeared in your newspaper on July 14th. It continues to baffle me that so many of my fellow Guyanese have lost their moral compass and are willing to attempt to justify the actions and statements of the rigging cabal for self-serving purposes.

It is ironic to say that you “put Guyana First” and then offer support to Trotman who is in favour of the rigging cabal. If Lall really loved and cared so much about Guyana, he should denounce Trotman and others pushing electoral fraud and don’t hide behind curtains and become an enabler. Lall should not allow his relationship with Trotman and his “man-to-man dealings “to dissuade him from standing up to electoral fraud and should add his voice in urging Trotman and others in government to do the right thing and accept the will of the people.

Lall states that we have a “Guyanese problem that requires Guyanese solutions” and is attempting to support Trotman’s call for regional players to stay out of Guyana’s business. Lall seems to have conveniently forgotten that Guyana signed regional and international treaties and enjoy the benefits of those relationships. I wonder if Lall lived on another planet during the decades of electoral fraud that the PNC committed on Guyanese by disenfranchising voters and practising non-democratic principles. As Lall might know, back then the “Guyanese problem” was not solved by Guyanese. Fortunately, Guyana was freed of electoral fraud and the skullduggery of the PNC with help from foreigners including former US President Jimmy Carter and the Carter Center who finally held the PNC accountable and stood firm for free and fair elections.

I remember during that dark time of PNC rigging, many wanted to see more proactive voices from any small or big country and went as far as criticising CARICOM for remaining silent when most Guyanese felt helpless to the rigging of the unprincipled cabal that was forced upon them. Democratic minded Guyanese were extremely thankful then for the intervention of President Carter and are thankful now for the US, Canada, UK, EU, small and big countries in CARICOM and other places who are standing up for democracy in Guyana. I agree with Freddie Kissoon that Guyana should erect a bust of the faces of Bruce Golding, Owen Arthur, the US Ambassador, Canadian High Commissioner, British High Commissioner, and the EU Ambassador for their efforts in keeping alive Guyanese freedom to vote and have that vote counted.

We promote Guyana as a friendly welcoming country. It is well known around the world that you can go to a Guyanese home unannounced and within minutes, you will most likely be fed cook-up rice, curry and roti… etc. then I read Lall’s comments about “how we (Guyanese) behave and how we are deep down inside”… these things are not compatible and I suggest to Lall that Guyanese are a friendly, inclusive and welcoming people and unfortunately, it is persons like Lall, Trotman and others affiliated to the losing party who have been fanning the flames of hatred and division since it is convenient for their purpose at this time… our regional and international friends are the ones trying to intervene to prevent chaos as friends and family should do even if they are not legally bound to assist. Bottom-line is that Guyana is not ready for totally Guyana’s solutions. Why else would you have a need for elections monitors? I imagine that Lall and others will say we don’t need observers. Let the rigging continue!

It is disappointing to see Lall write “To the White man we go”? Has Lall and others had a close look at the voices, both domestic and foreign, and who these voices belong to. I will just mention one that has been lambasted by cohorts of Lall and Trotman – Mia Motley. Is this Lall’s definition of the White man to whom we are running. These enablers are not making sense.

I wrote previously about how all of a sudden the PNC supporters are talking about a more amicable way forward when they see the writing on the wall and their trickery and lies are being exposed and eventually they will all suffer consequences of their ill-conceived actions from the international community. They now conveniently want to start a conversation about power sharing and I imagine that Lall is part of that push for his own personal ambitions. We are being reminded once again that so many are not committed to principled values that put country and democracy first. The masks of those not standing for democratic principles at this challenging time in Guyana are being removed slowly. I am shocked and appalled that so many who were perceived as reasonable minded and principled people have become so unprincipled for what seems to be self-serving purposes. It is truly sad.

To the foreigners from both big and small countries calling for the will of the people to be respected, many Guyanese would like to say “Thank You” and ask that you don’t be distracted by the unprincipled motives of the minority of those Guyanese protecting their self-interest.

Yours truly,
C. De Barros