Dear Editor,
The commemoration ceremony for the late President, Dr Cheddi Jagan, at the cremation site at Babu John in Berbice has a strange and profound effect on President Jagdeo. It is as if some weird spirit causes his newly minted doctorate in literature to desert him in favour of palpable fabrication; his natural immaturity to descend into inexplicable recklessness and the stature of his presidency into miasmic freefall.
A couple of years ago the spirit caused him to tell his dumbfounded Babu John audience that if the PNCR was returned to power, the same people who were stealing guns would be given them. This year it is about blood and its target is that party’s presidential candidate, retired Brigadier David Granger against whom the accusations were so beyond the pale that even Jagdeo’s preference as presidential successor Mr Donald Ramotar sought to rephrase the accusation describing it euphemistically as “a bit harsh.”
Once again, the President abuses the country’s constitution to make defamatory statements about others while hiding under the apron of immunity article in the constitution. He knows – or rather thinks – that he has such absolute and unqualified immunity under the constitution that he cannot be prosecuted for anything. I doubt whether the framers of the constitution would have intended the constitution to be interpreted in such literal and absurd sense. Yet, his confidence – or recklessness – seems to lead him to believe that he can, with impunity, accuse others of being incompetent, habitués of rum shops, man kisser, etc.
When Mr Freddie Kissoon, whom Mr Jagdeo regularly abuses and defames, uses a term which the head of state regards as offensive to describe his presidency, Mr Jagdeo runs to the court for financial compensation for loss of reputation. In the process he also sought and obtained a silencing order (injunction) against Mr Kissoon, an order that has been challenged but not heard by the court. One hopes that when the court calls, Mr Jagdeo will be courageous enough to take the stand and answer questions about his presidency and his conduct over the past several years.
Meanwhile, I believe that in Mr Granger, Mr Jagdeo has more than met his match. Now that Mr Granger has stood up to him, we wait to see what he will do.
Yours faithfully,
Christopher Ram
