Dear Editor,
I have seen the reports in the newspapers about the Governor of Roraima, Brazil mounting the PPP/C campaign platform, an act which is contrary to all international diplomatic norms, and whilst I understand that the opposition political parties are outraged by this act, I actually would like to add another dimension to this matter.
We have apparently taken an approach which to my mind overlooks what appears to me to be another and more important aspect of the event. In normal circumstances, since this was a clear violation of international conventions, either Jagdeo as President, or Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett as our Minister of Foreign Affairs would have been obligated to write the Brazilian government condemning this breach of international protocol by a high-level Brazilian official – but wait a minute, Mr Jagdeo and Ms Rodrigues-Birkett were there in Lethem at that rally, and not only were they aware of the huge diplomatic faux pas which was being perpetrated less than 21 days from an election, they played an active part in the process of arranging it, so neither of them can possibly write the Brazilian government on our behalf with any credibility. If they were not aware of what they were doing then they have no right to be functioning at those levels of our government.
In any decent democratic country in the world with a functioning legal system, we the citizens of this country should ask for the immediate resignation of both Mr Jagdeo and Ms Rodrigues-Birkett, especially since the PPP/C has had the effrontery to call our media workers “vultures” and “carrion crows.” And since the PPP government is completely complicit in this matter and is now totally disgraced and compromised, it is Gecom which must write the Brazilians pointing out this breach in diplomatic etiquette, and demand an apology from the President of Brazil herself. And it is Gecom which must also demand an explanation from the PPP/C and Mr Robert Persaud.
All through this election Gecom has turned a blind eye to numerous blatant violations of the Representation of the Peoples Act which they swore to uphold. In particular, there is the matter of the opposition having reasonable access to the state-owned media, which foreign experts have proclaimed as essential to have a free and fair election. This has not been satisfactorily resolved.
The funniest part of this matter is that it is the Jagdeo regime which has consistently blocked forming a truly meaningful partnership with Brazil for hydropower, a deep-water harbour and the highway to Lethem to allow Brazilians to access the Atlantic Ocean; and it is the opposition parties, especially the APNU, which have been advocating pursuing, in the most vigorous way possible, closer economic ties with Brazil to open our interior and our economy and create jobs. If the Brazilians want to partner us to build an 800 megawatt hydropower station to power Guyana and Manaus it would bring untold wealth to this poor country, since cheap hydropower would make us the manufacturing capital in Caricom and we would be better off than Trinidad.
Instead of the Brazilians, Mr Jagdeo has struck a deal with the Asians who are rapidly taking over many of the Regent and Robb Street businesses, much to the chagrin of the Indian and other businesses owners there. We are receiving a lot of grant aid money from the Chinese, of that there can be no doubt. Editor, 2+2 has always been 4!
Yours faithfully,
Tony Vieira
