Dear Editor,
In his column of August 13, Freddie Kissoon stated, “Burnham had finessed methodologies at his disposal” and “Burnham was the personification of the sophisticated use of power.”
Finessed methodologies? Sophisticated use of power? With reference to a man who openly and crudely rigged elections? Who openly boasted, “Our steel is sharper than theirs”? Whose administration was associated with the murder of Walter Rodney, Father Bernard Darke and others in open daylight? Whose government had no qualms in brazenly attacking the public meetings of the opposition? And these are just a few of numerous examples of lack of finesse and lack of sophistication in the use of power. Mr Kissoon also stated, “His [Burnham’s] calculations were simple and based on intellectual reasoning, pragmatic instincts, and leadership qualities. Indeed? Intellectual reasoning? Leadership qualities? Pray tell what calculations of intellectual reasoning and leadership qualities were displayed in allowing Rabbi Washington and Jim Jones to set up shop in Guyana? In wasting millions of dollars in the aborted Mazaruni hydro project among teeming others? In creating shortages and blackouts et al? In policies that led to the underground economy and massive outmigration?Editor, may I point out that this letter is not a defence of the current PPP administration, as they are guilty of similar abuse of power and myopic policies. However, it does boggle the imagination that someone of Mr Kisson’s intellect and analytic capacity would make such awfully inaccurate references to Forbes Burnham.
Yours faithfully,
Annan Boodram
