Dear Editor,

I refer to a letter by Emile Mervin captioned “Cheddi Jagan was not responsible for restoring democracy in 1992″ (07.12.21). He must be joking. No one will take him seriously much less believe him, not even the younger generation who never knew Dr Jagan or Mr Hoyte. His letter is merely an opinion and a muddled one at that!

Here is another attempt to confuse readers, particularly the younger generation, about the real meaning of democracy and to distort Dr Jagan’s decisive contribution to the restoration of democracy in this country prior to the elections in 1992.

It is sickening to read the utter rubbish written by these armchair democrats who never raised a finger in support of the Guyanese people’s struggle for free and fair elections in this country yet have the temerity to churn out ‘stuff’ simply to appear objective.

If, as Mervin claims, it was Hoyte who “opened the door for free and fair elections” in Guyana then Mervin must say why was Hoyte not re-elected for this wonderful and magnanimous political gesture. How come he didn’t capitalise on it and win votes for it?

To validate his arguments in favour of Hoyte, Mervin should publish the Minutes of the General Council/ Executive Committee Meetings of the PNC where the decision was apparently taken to “come clean with elections”.

In his effort to appear objective Mervin grudgingly extends a few plaudits to Dr Jagan for his role in the anti-colonial struggle.

And in a cynical fashion typical of falsifiers of history he suggests that Hoyte should also be awarded the Order of Liberation for liberating Guyanese from the tyrannical rule by Hoyte’s own party. Hoyte the liberator – the PNC the Oppressor!!

Is that it Mr Mervin? How much more cynical can we get?

Yours faithfully,

Clement J. Rohee