Come on! Dr. Persaud, do not distort the fact

Aug 11, 2025 Letters

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Dear Editor,

Kaieteur News – On the afternoon of Friday, August 8, 2025, I was addressing a challenging issue regarding the desecration of the 1823 monument site at Independence Ground when I received a call from one of my elders. He informed me about a letter written by Dr. Randy Persaud, published the previous day in the Stabroek News, in response to a letter I had written. Honestly, I was unfamiliar with Dr. Persaud, so I felt compelled to research him. After my investigation, I concluded that he is a fascist ideologue, comparable to Josef Goebbels—a latent threat to democracy, as well as to freedom of expression and association.

Dr. Persaud, in his attempt to defend the current regime, worked to undermine my letter. It is clear that the people of Guyana are generally oppressed, and there is ample data to support this claim. According to the latest World Bank report, 48% of Guyanese live in poverty, surviving on less than US$5.50 per day. I have no reason to dispute this information, as it is clearly evident.

I would like to remind the good Doctor that military ethos requires an apolitical military. Officers and enlisted personnel should not pledge allegiance to a political party; their primary duty is to safeguard the state. Similarly, it is inappropriate for officers and members of other services, such as the police, fire service, and prison service, to openly campaign for the ruling regime. Such behaviour undermines professionalism and puts non-supporters of the regime at risk of unfair treatment and injustice.

Traditionally, public servants would resign from their positions when they became actively involved in campaigning for a political party. This standard of conduct was exemplified by the late Dr. Roger Luncheon. Unfortunately, the situation today is different; the public service has become so infiltrated by members of the People’s Progressive Party (PPP) that it is often difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish between the public service and Freedom House, the party’s headquarters

How dare Dr. Persaud question my level of patriotism? It is definitely because I am an upright Black man who opposes the dangerous trend enabling state capture, and the politicization, and weaponization of state agencies against perceived opponents of the regime.

Let’s discuss the inconvenient truth about rigged elections. It’s important to inform those who may not be aware of the following instances: the 1961 election for the Houston seat and its outcome, the misallocation of the AFC seat to the PPP in 2006, and the numerous ballot boxes on the East Coast of Demerara during the 2020 elections that lacked the required statutory documents. These questionable declarations favoured the PPP.

Guyanese this occurred under the PPP. Here I refer to the “Troubles.” The reign of the phantom squad and the apparent complicity of the PPP government led by Jagdeo. I will never forget my relative Mark Mc Kenzie, who was killed by this goon squad hours after I dropped him off at Buxton. Concerning extrajudicial killings, no group of people in Guyana has suffered more than African Guyanese. It is well established that scores of African Guyanese were killed by this squad. How can we forget Sun Chapman incident that resulted in the direct loss of 43 lives? And the following day the deadly assault on four African Guyanese (George Halley, Sydney Halley, Neil Bascombe and Rolston Bourne) at Mortice Mahaicony. This is not an exhaustive list.

Come on! Dr. Persaud, do not distort the fact. These tragedies serve as a stark reminder of the violence that has plagued our communities and the need for accountability. It is crucial that we confront these historical injustices head-on rather than allow them to be overshadowed by attempts to rewrite the narrative.

Credible data has highlighted the persistent poverty levels among Guyanese, despite a significant increase in our GDP. It seems there may be a deliberate strategy to impoverish certain segments of society as a means of control. This is evident in a recent incident where a group of PPP operatives was caught on camera telling residents of Linden, “Vote PPP, and in the next three years, you will receive drainage contracts.” This implies that African Guyanese are only deemed qualified for such contracts.

Finally, Dr.  Randy Persaud I am a dignified and an upright Black man and will not bend my back to allow not even a baby to ride me.

Lelon Saul

Lt Col (Ret’d)

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• distort, Dr. Randy Persaud, fact, Lelon Saul

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