Personal capacity, Jagdeo’s democracy

Nov 20, 2024 The GHK Lall Column

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…Hard Truths

By GHK Lall

 Kaieteur News-The People’s Progressive Party (PPP) and the PPP Government do more than wax profusely about democracy, both say they live it.  To personalize this, Excellencies Ali and Jagdeo speak democracy lavishly, then assert that they practice it smartly.  Concerning a referendum on renegotiation of the Exxon deal, Attorney General Nandlall is speaking in his personal capacity, and not for the PPP Government.

How stupid does Dr. Jagdeo think that Guyanese are?  Relative to the same national oil patrimony, the same Jagdeo reassured Guyanese that former president and now Ambassador Samuel Hinds, was expressing independent thinking.  Now Dr. Jagdeo could be excused for concluding that some Guyanese are so dumb as to fall for that snake he dropped in their laps.  He, however, cannot be pardoned for thinking that all Guyanese are so dotish that they swallow his lines about the personal capacity of Excellency Nandlall and the freedom to think given to Ambassador Hinds.  Thinking what they did in private may be poisonous to the party’s atmospherics, expressing in public, on the other hand, would be perilous to the Hon. Vice President’s subterfuges.  Nonetheless, I tip my fedora to my brother, he outdoes himself and exceeds that old Guyanese proverb of getting two sweetness out of one bone.  Jagdeo got three, maybe even four, when I push it.

The newly “poor Sam Hinds” and Mr. “Personal Capacity” Nandlall are fully familiar with where the PPP as party and government stand on a whole host of issues pertaining to the Exxon contract.  Both are totally au fait with the clauses that cause so much controversy locally, and where their treasured PPP stands.  Top-down information sharing (not to be confused with internal discussion and debate) ensures that every member of the PPP’s inner circle is aware of what the position is.  Ring-fencing, renegotiating, propagandizing, and stonewalling (or steamrolling) on this oil is second nature to them by now.  They don’t speak out of turn; nor do they have the luxury of thinking for themselves.  So, Excellency Jagdeo can take that one about “personal capacity” and “independent thinking” and shove it to where even the crows fear to peek.  Some insiders were stripped naked last Tuesday morning, and treated to a verbal cat o’ nine tails whipping.  Did anyone object, stand up, push back?  Guyanese should know that last Tuesday’s show was a very milder, tamer, softer version of the trashing and battering that ministers and others are subject to behind closed doors.  It is political domestic violence taken to crisis levels.  Again, which one of them, Drs. Hinds and Nandlall included, is going to run off at the mouth in public?  They are parroting the party line, which is Jagdeo’s line.  The first sweetness for BJ -freedom to speak.

Second, Excellency Hinds goes out as the sacrificial lamb on oil only to end up a guinea pig.  “Is nah de guvment posishun?”  Guinea pigs get roasted over a slow fire.  Sorry, Mr. Sam, with similar condolences extended to Mr. Anil.  Jagdeo clears the air: the two luminaries are speaking for themselves only, on their own initiative.  This is part of Jagdeo’s patented setup.  He corrects, he looks good, he shows who is the boss.  Sweetness number two: they are his fall guys, whipping posts.

Next, Jagdeo lives in dread of his supporters seeing his failures with their oil wealth.  Hence, he rages at any independent thought, any stinging criticism.  Those who expose him for how he is and what he has become, thanks to his surrender to Exxon, and Exxon’s holding him at gunpoint.

He gets Nandlall and Hinds to take public positions about why some oil developments are unconstructive.  Then, he can ride to their rescue, expound on free thinking, prized party individuality, and his government’s position on some oil issue.  Conspicuously, he avoids going into specifics about the latter.  Thinking of this, I see Jagdeo as more than an oil phantom, he is a crude oil farce.  He slips, he slides, he circles, he sneaks about, and he slinks away.  He maneuvers situations so that he can take the other side of contentions that everybody in the PPP know is one big game, a slickly set fixed game.  Jagdeo is arranger and composer.  He arranges the masquerades, he composes the storylines, the climax and the conclusion.  The third sweetness tasted.

Last, there is this make-believe about party democracy (freethinking).  This tragedy about oil democracy (duty, equity, country).  This vulgarity about political democracy (free speech).  Former head-of-state Jagdeo gets to pretend that he and his PPP Government are about all these things, which is the first deception.  Whether first or twenty-first, Jagdeo is like a negligee: he can be seen through in how much he insulates Exxon, defends Exxon, does tricks for Exxon.  If it means that Sam Hinds and Anil Nandlall must be stepped on, then that is done.  He uses them to send the first message: don’t touch the oil in any way.  Then he comes along and gets his second bite. It’s not that way, without taking new positions or new conditions.   What a manipulator!  What a savvy, whole propagandizer.  Jagdeo sucks the fourth sweetness from Guyana’s oil bone.

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

(Personal capacity, Jagdeo’s democracy)

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• “Personal Capacity” Nandlall, Ambassador Samuel Hinds, Guyana’s oil bone, People's Progressive Party, PPP Government

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