Elections, the prospects – Part 2

Aug 09, 2025 Features / Columnists, The GHK Lall Column

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Hard Truths by GHK Lall

Kaieteur News – To recap Part 1 of elections prospects, Dr. Jagdeo was trundling along with his whistling-past-the graveyard lullaby of a “landslide” on September 1st when not one, but two tsunamis lashed him from silly to sickly. Now I’m feeling sorry for the super campaigner, the uber political prevaricator.

Jagdeo is discovering that evergreen about time and the river. He has runout of time to carry on with his around-the-world bubbles, and water on which to paddle. Two tsunamis aren’t the perfect storm, but they have enough oomph to shakeup the complacent PPP. Mohamed II is the 1st; the people represent the second tidal wave of resentment and rejection.

Mohamed II may not be many things, but of two attributes he has proven himself. A boat rocker is the first, a political presence that knows how to rub the fur of the dog the wrong way, set-off a frenzy in PPP territory. The second is that he is like a magnet that defies political polls, political calculations, and political wisdoms. Me, eye stayin out ah dah waan.

Now if I were Bharrat Jagdeo (a cringing thought, a diabolically frightening one), I myself would be upset to being upstaged by a former crony and commercial fellow traveler, a comrade who was the insider among insiders. Worse, the same fine fellow is now fetching away ole friends, ensnaring loyal comrades. Every vote gone means Jagdeo’s blood pressure gone haywire. C’mon folks, how can this be right? Feed a man a string of favours, arrange steel-cage protections for him, fuel his prosperity, and what happens? A political competitor is what. Talk about sorree fuh magah dawg, magah dawg tun rung bite yuh.

All that is nice and well. But not when a thunderclap transforms into a tsunami. From Jagdeo’s perspective, this is past the stage of worry; it’s an electoral catastrophe waiting round the bend for September 1. It’s not moon river. It’s a river of tears. This explains why Badman Bharrat is scaling back and walking backwards. The latest is his prophesy about a two-thirds parliamentary majority. Well, like the good book says, there are good prophets and there are false prophets. Guyanese voters have the deciding say, and September 1 is shaping up to be more than E-Day. It could be D-Day (doomsday) for the PPP. He, the mud wrestler, and the other brawlers yelling out to the faithful: don’t split the vote. He and his own people bury Cheddi Jagan and now they bring him back. Poor Jagdeo, he trapped PNC crossovers, only to travel back in time to apaan jaat (don’t split the vote). His appeals fall on deaf ears, which hurries me to the second tsunami that is causing Dr. Jagdeo nightmares.

The people, oh, the Guyanese people. What should have been a one-horse race is now a two scorpions-in-a-bottle battle. The people have had enough. The people are tired, fed up, and angry. The PPP had no time for the little people, took them for granted, made them into tennis balls. Overhead smash. Crosscourt volley. Topspin lobs. Every strike is the price that the poor paid in the last five years. Now, there’s Jagdeo riding into town on his white horse, with don’t split the vote. The PPP split the people to pieces. Split their hopes (real relief). Split their dreams (pension help). Split their prosperity (oil money). And, as if spitting on the same rejected and dejected people, they tell them: don’t split the vote. Somebody in the PPP leadership circle is playing at the village idiot. Or think that they are dealing with village upon village full of idiots.

Poor people hear about abundant oil money, they see who get plenty. And then they know something else: next to the meaningless of that money coming to them. The poor are an afterthought, where Jagdeo and the others wipe the shame from their faces, and share out a cash grant insult. Doing something for the bottom feeders and the starvers at the last minute to keep them busy and boozy. It’s like a beloved brother visiting Guyana, who had a great time wid he bigshat frens, then turnup at the doorstep on the way to the airport. Hey, dude, how ya doin’, good to see ya. Holdon to dis raze. Now how bout sum duck curry? Doan tek wurreez and doan fuget wee still faamlee. What a user! What an insulter and abuser! Doesn’t that deh baad, baad spirit, character not remind of the PPP and some of its brightest moons over the last five years.? Well, that’s don’t split the vote. Translation: don’t hold grudges. Don’t vote fuh de addah maan. It is not the palm tree man. It’s the tiger claw and leopard fist man. Who’s in and who’s out, on 9/1, Guyanese will find out.

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

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• Dr. Jagdeo, Elections, GHK Lall, Prospects

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