Will the real President Ali please stand up?

Jul 15, 2022 Letters

Dear Editor,

Guyana’s President Ali is either the real deal and a real honest John, or he inhabits a parallel universe. In his world, he is the sole source of truth, while all those who come up against him, and challenge him are liars. For the record, Guyana’s pious President denies marginalising the Toshaos, while calling for an ‘independent’ investigation of exposed foreign Chinese corrupters. It is how some leaders transform into conjurors of myths that only they themselves come to believe; might sound warmhearted, but is coolly calculating.

On this issue of an independent investigation of corruptions by the Chinese, I inquire of the leader, why go off halfcocked and halfway, Dr. President? How about going the full nine yards and conduct a truly (emphasis on truly) full-scale independent investigation of the Dr. Vice President, since he is an irremovable aspect of the tricky workings of those foreigners, as admitted by them? For them to succeed here, even breathe here, they had to have had powerful political accessories, and in this country, there is only one that fits that bill since the departure of maximum leader Burnham. The problem is who is going to engage in any of this pretense at investigating, and is capable of so doing competently and courageously? This is why thinking Guyanese have a good laugh over these things. Independent investigations, commissions of inquiry into this and that, and so forth, have no credibility. The leaders calling for them are regarded as trustworthy, which means any output of their handpicked agents meet the usual contemptuous dismissal for lack of authenticity and reliability.

Relative to the Toshaos, the whole cast of them must be bona fide PNC stooges or as is more likely, genuinely struggling to manage their affairs according to their traditions and visions; for too long, they have allowed themselves to be used as pawns in the political ambitions of others. The President denies any hanky-panky (hijacking) of their conference, their lives. Who believes him? I don’t. Leaders have engaged in so many deceptions and so much dissembling here that they no longer see their misconduct as either misrepresenting (a legal word for falsifying) or misleading, which is a synonym for turning traitor to truth. I struggle to recall the last time the President spoke straight, meaning, no doubletalk, no hidden meaning, no code words. Like corruption, twisting the language, playing games with words, and engaging in slippery syntax constructions have become the regular way of leaders.

As I regard the terrain, it is clear to me that what we have here is a lipstick leader holding the highest office in this land. Like regular lipstick, touch it even gently, and smearing and smudging result. To say another way, lipstick truths from leaders like these don’t hold up in rain, or sun, or light. I see a President with a startling feel and flair for the dramatic, costumes and all, public postures and words and all. He has a preference to be a gamesman and showman more than the statesman urgently needed. It is now an article of faith that the President is someone who has fallen in love with his own shallow laughable rhetoric. He has become a pronounced master of the elaborate ceremony, and the stage managed.
The best I can say is that as I contemplate all these Presidential witticisms, I will forever be grateful for the continuous supply of low political leadership comedy that this country needs to keep its sanity. Delicious entertainment it is. Once upon a time, Guyanese had to deal with Burnham Magic; today they live with Ali sorcery. This is one comic book country. Just listen to these Daffy Duck denials, and insipid independent investigation postures. By whom locally, may I dare to ask?

Sincerely,
GHK Lall

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