Geeta Chandan: The nature of Guyanese politics

Dec 16, 2022 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon

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Kaieteur News – I have known Geeta and her husband a long time. They were both my students at the University of Guyana. Over the past two decades, we became friends. It was a friendship that went beyond the banality of association. They trusted my advice.

Wife and husband became part of the AFC and when the APNU+AFC won the election, we had a dinner celebration at New Thriving Restaurant. As the AFC settled into office, the nature of the AFC leadership led to her alienation and she crossed over to APNU. It was natural because she worked as the legal advisor to Minister Joe Harmon. Her husband Joel, disassociated himself from the AFC, resigned and quit politics. I was surprised when she took up the position as General Secretary of the PNC after her former boss was defeated by Aubrey Norton.

I believe Geeta’s inexperience in politics led her into the realm of the new PNC leadership. It was clear to political observers that there was water under the bridge between Norton and the Granger/Harmon/Ally triumvirate. The triumvirate and the Norton faction were not enamoured with each other.

Amna Ally told this columnist that she was flippantly derecognised by the Norton leadership. See my column of Friday, August 19, 2022, “What Amna Ally told me broke my heart.” Geeta had to know about the way the triumvirate felt about Norton’s leadership. So why did she enter the door of Norton?

There are two theories. One is that she was advised to do so by the triumvirate. The other is that the ethnic thing drove Norton to offer the position. The explanation of Geeta’s resignation using both theories has the same explanatory theme. First, she was seen by Norton and a faction in the PNC that is close to Norton as a Harmon person. It meant from the beginning, she was not trusted and her tenure was viewed with suspicion.

Secondly, her inexperience is politics nurtured her disadvantages. Geeta does not know the PNC. She entered politics through the front door of the AFC, then because as a state employed lawyer. Even while working in the Ministry of the Presidency, that role did not bring her into the realm of PNC politics.

She entered the war-room of the PNC as a novice, knowing nothing about the PNC and the history of Norton. First, the PNC has never elevated an Indian onto the hierarchy of the PNC the way the PPP has nurtured Africans.

Roger Luncheon was de facto next to Cheddi Jagan and Reepu Daman Persaud and Moses Nagamootoo accepted Luncheon powerful status. After President Jagan resigned and Bharrat Jagdeo became president, Luncheon was de facto second in charge of the government. Another African became the de jure head of the PPP with formidable power- Clement Rohee.

For whatever reason, the PNC has not eulogised their Indian big wigs the way the PPP has done to their African leaders. Geeta then was not treated as an Indian discovery to be highlighted. Someone like Desmond Hoyte or Robert Corbin would have seen Geeta as a plus for the PNC’s image. Under Corbin, Supriya Singh could have risen to the apex of the PNC.

Secondly, Geeta was General-Secretary under a man whose politics is one-dimension. Aubrey Norton cannot muster the pragmatism that politics in Guyana necessitates. He only understands the way of the alley.

All independent observers of Guyanese politics are on the consensus that Norton’s politics is street politics. In fact, certain embassies in Georgetown are studying the prospect of facilitating a new party. The western embassies will not deliver a Norton presidency to Guyana.

Certain key players in the PNC know that Norton’s leadership will not deliver an election victory and if Norton turns to “mo fyaah/slo fyaah” because of the importance of the EXXON presence in Guyana, the PNC will not survive American wrath. Therefore, Norton is living on borrowed time in the PNC.

Geeta began to understand what she got into when she entered the kingdom of Norton. Her experience was with Harmon and his temperament was different from Norton’s. Geeta’s began to experience revulsion at some of the methodologies of the new PNC.

The departure had to come. She did not understand those methodologies, believed such approaches to politics would not be used by Norton. When they were, she couldn’t accept them. The end had to come. Like her husband, Joel, she may be at the point of “calling it, George” with politics. One thing for sure, the Geeta Chandan exodus will hurt both the credibility and electoral prospects of the PNC. We may see a challenge to Norton sooner than later.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of this newspaper and its affiliates.)

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