Sanctions affect only the Mohamed’s not the Country or Guyanese

Apr 25, 2025 Letters

Dear Editor,

Reference is made to a letter, “The possible jeopardies of association with an Azruddin Mohamed campaign” (SN Apr 24) by Nikhil Sankar. The missive is very biased. Mr. Sankar has been a known PPP supporter; he penned several positive pieces about the government and scathing attacks on the opposition. With his inherent bias, everything he writes against those challenging the PPP in the 2025 elections should not be taken seriously.

Sankar says that as a citizen, Mohamed can run for office. But if Azruddin runs, Sankar states, those associated with him will be sanctioned. It is nonsense, hogwash. America can’t sanction a citizen of another country for seeking elective office, and USA never did. And USA will never sanction a citizen for engaging in elective office; America is a democratic country that encourages people to become politically involved.

The tone of the letter is clearly anti-Azruddin. He engages in scare tactics, a playbook of the PPP. Clearly, Sankar does not want the gentleman to run for office. Azruddin is very popular everywhere. Were Azruddin to run, Sankar recognizes that the PPP will not win the general elections. And therefore, he pens an article discouraging the gentleman from running and worse from getting people to support him.

The assertion he made about possible fallouts of an Azruddin candidacy are far from reality. He asserts that anyone who supports or associates with Azruddin will face sanction. That is a foolish conclusion. Let us say that Mohamed is elected as President, does that mean all his appointees and the entire country would be sanctioned for electing (associating with) him. Or if he were he to be elected to parliament, then will the Speaker and other MPs be sanctioned based on their association with him in parliament?

Sanctions don’t work the way Sankar asserts. The sanctions on the Mohamed’s are specific and apply to them only. The sanction states that other Americans doing business with them will face consequences. Sources in Washington told me that the sanctions don’t apply to other Guyanese. The government of Guyana is not precluded from doing business with the Mohamed. The American government never instructed Guyana government to punish the Mohameds. The Mohameds were not accorded due process rights. Irfaan/Jagdeo government on its own has decided not to engage the Mohameds in business. If Guyanese were doing financial business with the Mohameds, one can be sanctioned. If one signs his candidacy form or his party form, or campaign for him, or run with him for office, or vote for him, or engages in any other non-financial matters, one does not face any sanction. If one were doing business on behalf of Guyana with the Mohameds, sanctions don’t apply to them.

The sanctions apply to financial matters involving the Mohamed’s. There is no sanction for being a participant in a political arena. Any funding a person receives as compensation for political work will not lead to sanctions. Guyanese will not be sanctioned for political ties. Working as polling agents is not the same as working for the Mohameds. They are working for a political party or the government (GECOM). There is no guilt by association.

Yours truly,

Danny Ramnarain

Discover more from Kaieteur News

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Latest News