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Dr. Jagan’s offer to WPA in 1992
Dear Editor,
Reference is drawn to Prof Wazir Mohamed’s complaint (Mar 9) about Freddie Kissoon’s distortion of the offer by President Jagan for a joint government between PPP and WPA in 1992. Wazir also complained (Mar 16) about Freddie’s untruth relating to Dr. Rupert Roopnarine. It is important that we have the facts right. Wazir and Rupert were never known to lie or embellish facts.
Wazir stated that a WPA committee (“Rupert argued in favour”) approved “the offer to join the government”. He did not specify what exactly was offered to WPA but claimed that whatever offered was withdrawn; state board appointments were among the positions offered as related by Dr. Jagan to me. News reports at the time and my conversation with Dr. Jagan before the cabinet portfolios were announced in October 1992 was that an offer was made to WPA for Dr. Clive Thomas to join the cabinet. It was not clear whether Thomas was offered Finance Minister. Asgar Ally was subsequently named Finance Minister. Afterwards, when asked about Dr. Thomas joining the cabinet, Dr. Jagan told me that since Asgar was already Finance Minister, he was prepared to offer Dr. Thomas Minister of Planning. Jagan wanted Thomas in his cabinet. Jagan asked me to speak with Dr. Thomas about the offer that was conveyed to him by Jagan.
I spoke with Rupert, Eusi Kwayana, Dr. Thomas and others from the WPA about the offer. (I don’t recall if I spoke with Wazir on the matter). The answer was that the offer was made to Dr. Thomas and not WPA and that it was up to Dr. Thomas to make a decision. Kwayana was very adamant that the offer was made directly to Dr. Thomas. Prof. Thomas told me that the position should go to someone from the PPP who was involved in that long struggle to restore free and fair elections in Guyana and that PPP had amply qualified members. He was not interested in the position and was also not interested in the Finance Ministry. It is recalled that Dr. Thomas rejected the offer of Prime Minister as running mate of Dr. Jagan in a joint slate. Had he accepted the offer, the politics of Guyana would have been different from then to now. Thomas would have become President following the death of Jagan in March 1997.
Separately, Professors Nigel Westmaas and Wazir and writer Dhanraj Bhagwandin assailed Freddie (Mar 13, 12, 11) for writing “untruths about themselves and SN”. They are not the only victims. It is widely known that Freddie consistently wrote outright lies, or half-truths, and severe distortions about countless others including Bharrat Jagdeo, Irfaan Ali, Donald Ramotar, KN, WPA, PPP, Guyana Times, Clive Thomas, David de Caires, Anand Persaud, Glenn Lall, Chris Ram, Ravi Dev, Baytoram Ramharack, Randy Persaud, Rupert Roopnarine, myself, among so many others. Hardly anything Freddie writes is factual. One must take his writings with a grain (nay – a kilo) of salt. Nigel, Wazir, Dhanraj are all writers of integrity. The public respect their outpourings. I engaged the former two at Rodney House on many occasions; they were sources of information and outstanding analyses who would not lie, unlike Freddie. I commend Nigel and Wazir who grew up humbly and volunteered full time at Rodney House to fight for restoration of democracy in Guyana. Wazir’s brother, Ameer, also devoted time gratis at WPA office and joined the struggle overseas. Nigel and Wazir (as did their colleague David Hinds) went on to earn PhD, unlike Freddie, and have become respected Professors. Could those be reasons (PhD and professorship) why Freddie attacks them?
What is shocking is scholars or academics found time to read what Freddie writes. What is more disappointing is that Freddie is allowed to use State media to attack individuals who contributed much to the struggle for the restoration of democracy in Guyana. It is not forgotten that the paper was used to attack the PPP opposition from 1970s to 1992 and Dr. Jagan specifically. It is a fact that Nigel and Wazir, indeed so many of us, Nanda Gopaul, de Caires, Ravi Dev, Harry Nokta, Vishnu Bandhu, Tacuma Ogunseye, myself, among others, were harassed and victimized, some even brutally beaten by thugs during that struggle for democracy. We all may support different political entities. But we must respect those who contributed significantly to the struggle for free and fair elections.
Yours faithfully
Vishnu Bisram
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