Dear Editor,
Frederick Kissoon is the only daily columnist in Guyana who takes on the President of Guyana almost as frequently as he deserves. His direct style of questioning and demanding answers, as well as letting out information not comfortable for the regime, yet known, has made him an influential columnist. An added factor is that he writes in his own name.
He now claims that some colleagues of mine were not active and forthcoming on President Jagdeo’s domestic misconduct. He named a number of Guyanese men in various countries who he claims wrote fittingly on the President’s marriage games. In his list of praise he left out one man, who had written in such a way as to let the presumed husband off the hook. As I read the list – and I know their names and high reputation – I have seen an answer by Nigel Westmaas affirming the right of Ms Trotz’s ‘Diaspora’ column, and his co-offenders including Andaiye, and of Global Dayclean which Westmaas edits and publishes, to treat what they think fitting, as Mr Kissoon does.
Kissoon’s uninformed unfair and direct attack on Andaiye is disturbing. He declares, “Andaiye is a woman activist but strangely didn’t utter a word about what poor Varshnie Singh went through with her relationship with President Jagdeo.” This was a low punch, because the statement is false. Andaiye and Sister de Souza officially for Red Thread, and perhaps elsewhere not only “said one word,” but said it in such a way as to challenge the President and leave him without defence. To maintain credibility in the public interest, Mr Kissoon has the option of correcting the misleading record. He can choose whether he wants to be seen as reliable or not.
He also suggested what Andaiye should have spoken on when she received a public award from a civic organisation. A dictator we all fought once said in Barbados, “In Guyana, we don’t tell people what to print; we tell them what not to print.” Mr Kissoon must know whether he wants to be seen as telling people what not to print and also what to say.
Mr Kissoon’s misleading article appeared on July16. I am writing this on July 19, 2009.
Yours faithfully,
Eusi Kwayana
I too was a bit disappointed that Andaiye did not speak out the way she should have on the Varshnie Singh issue. I have the utmost respect and admiration for Andaiye as a prominent women’s activist. Hence, when she visited London I expected that she would have taken the opportunity, when she was interviewed by the Voice, Britain’s leading black newspaper, to pronounce on the treatment of Ms Singh by the hands of the President of Guyana.
Andaiye was here for a women’s conference. I mentioned this in an article published in the Stabroek News captioned ” A lie to an entire nation”
I do not find, given the style and consistency of Freddie Kisson, that Andaiye received an unwarranted attack in the column you mentioned. The article did not make me see less of her as an actvist.
I just feel that it is true that some leaders, writers and public figures stay shy of pronouncing on certain issues.
I agree.
I think Freddie is frustrated with the lack of support from some major players of the past struggle against Burnham. They all fought for free and fair elections and democracy. freddie feels we only got free elections and therefore the struggle must continue only that some of these same people contributed to what is happening today under jagdeo by giving the PPP unchallenged and unaccountable reigns to power. Had they not been so naive and trusting of Cheddi, they might have been able to push for the destruction of the one thing which has us in this mess today, that is, the destruction of the BURNHAM CONSTITUTION which is so expertly been used to sustain the warp pleasures of an ‘out of hand’ autocrat.
I really do understand Freddie’s frustration with his colleague demopcracy fighters now becoming armchair paper tigers….a few, from afar.
Uncle Kissoon and some of his colleagues are like Don Quixote and the windmills, he should not complain when Andaiye behaved like Sancho.
Hey every marksman will miss his target from time to time.
But lately steady has been nailing the PPP without even trying man, tis sad, real sad. It is very difficult to hignore freddy now, anything the man talk about with regards to the PPP and the PHENC is on the money.
I can understand Mr Kwayana wanting to correct the public record regarding one of his sisters in the struggle, and I do have a lot of respect for him, but I was astonished by the stridency of his letter.
He is a great communicator so I will have to assume that it is intended. I come away from this letter with a heavy heart.
How disappointing!