By Tantaliser
If only Presidential Candidates were horses…
And discourses were debates…
And Guyana was a sultanate…
Or is it?
Yes said Ramjattan! No said Ramotar! Granger stared sternly ahead and Peter Persaud sipped water.
The Historic Grand 2011 Presidential Candidate’s Discourse at the University of Guyana, Turkeyen Campus took off with a one-hour bang ensuring that a mere four questions were asked before Paulette Paul sang and the “discourse” was brought to a screeching, anti-climatic halt.
“It’s unfortunate that it could not have gone longer because they have other things to do,” said the organiser of the discourse, Kadasi Ceres. “Scam!” screamed the rowdy woman who had been shouting all afternoon unconcerned by Paulette’s threat of eviction. “Scam!”
As discourses go, it fizzled rather than banged and was hogged by the Presidential Candidates though it may not have been their fault as much as the someone who decided that they would each be given 15 minutes to speak which added up to an hour before question time. Peter Persaud of The United Force shares some blame as well. He held up proceedings with his late arrival and his presence there was questioned by many and begged the question of whether the presidential candidate of the Horizon and Star party would have been invited had he been successful in gaining GECOM’s approval to contest the elections.
APNU’s David Granger drew the most cheers and a few jeers, AFC’s Khemraj Ramjattan had his few but vocal supporters while the PPP’s Donald Ramotar was loudly jeered but also cheered with vocal government officials taking the lead in applauding him as he ambled up the stage of the George Walcott Lecture Theatre (GWLT).
Peter Persaud was “Peter Who?” The former out of favour member of TUF now heads the capitalist-oriented party (what a comeback!) though he has no background in economics and called the “discourse” a “debate”. SMH. The sun is going down…
If presidents are chosen based on academic qualifications alone, stern Granger would be Guyana’s next leader. It was clear that most of those packed in the GWLT were supporting him and he connected with them as he addressed issues that affect the students and staff of the tertiary institution directly. “The PPP has endangered your future,” he said to roars of approval.
The “Gopaul Doctrine,” Granger added, is what the PPP practices. He explained that the government is always dissatisfied at how the university is administered and the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the President, Nanda Gopaul blames the academics.
The first speaker, Granger was constantly interrupted by cheers. After promising to make teachers and lecturers the best paid public servants the former army commander smiled. “We promise you, read my lips, one laptop per lecturer, OLPL,” he added to hoots of laughter and cheers with even Ramotar cracking a smile. Granger guaranteed jobs. “No more bus-conducting, no more working in restaurants,” he said. The PPP “betrayed” the students by “robbing” them of their future, he said to shouts of “thieves”.
Peter Persaud, comeback kid and a member of civil society took the podium after Granger while Ramotar got up to turn on a fan prompting shouts of “AC! AC!”
Somewhere Peter Persaud was lost in translation. No one, it seemed, cared much for what he was saying. “First of all, I want you to appeal to you to be quiet,” he said after everyone decided to talk at once. They paid little heed as he said he understood that this was a presidential “debate.”
“TUF is the mini-PPP,” shouted several. “Dah man reading a PPP script,” bellowed another. “He’s reading a PPP script. Give him a chance. Boo. Boo,” yelled another oblivious to the contradictions in his remarks. Peter Persaud was not given a chance but there were shouts of “Geh da man a laptop.”
He said that the other political parties are not qualified to lead Guyana. “Peter to the world,” smiled an attendee. Peter Persaud coughed while speaking about democracy and the rule of law. “Is the lies choking you,” he was heckled. “The TUF is fully committed…,” he said. “To stop lying,” a heckler finished.
It was not a good afternoon for Peter Persaud and the laughter that rang out when he stopped to sip water with the less than in control chairwoman Paulette Paul having to appeal for him to be given a fair hearing. She said that she had asked the police officers present to keep an eye on the crowd and asked those disrupting to remove themselves. Allow them to make their presentations uninterrupted “or else you will be asked to leave,” she threatened. Amid the noise, Peter Persaud wrapped up and faded into the afternoon.
Ramjattan strode to the podium and began his side of the discourse discussing a style of leadership before concluding that “I see those attributes here in Guyana. We have a champion of a sultan.”
Amid roars of approval, he attacked the government about corruption saying that a large portion of funds are funnelled “to the sultan and his cronies.” He lambasted the “sultanistic regime” as others took up the cry of “yuh too sultanistic” in relation to the government.
As Ramotar studied his notes, Peter Persaud gazed somewhere while sipping water and Granger looked sternly to the audience, Ramjattan lamented that there is an inequality in the country that creates mistrust. He urged change. As he spoke of the AFC’s plans and proposals, he mentioned constitutional reform and amid yells of “the sultan” said that presidential power would be curbed. “Our tomorrow depends on the choices we make today. I plead with you, make the right one,” he said to shouts of “change, change, change”.
“That’s a real speech,” commented one person. “No more sultanism,” yelled another. Ramjattan was the only candidate who utilized the full amount of time allotted for his presentation and even went over by 17 seconds.
And then came Ramotar. To boos. And cheers. And heckles of “quack, quack”. His voice hoarse, he lauded the state of the economy under the PPP. “Guyana’s economy has grown,” he declared. “With Roger Khan money,” a heckler responded. He spoke of his “next term in office” and was immediately booed. He spoke of developments in the country. “We have fresh water…” he said. “In Pradoville 2” was the immediate retort. “Lies, lies” the screams continued while he spoke.
Ramotar polarized the crowd. Amid the waving posters- mostly of Granger – there were some for him; amid the jeers there were cheers. At the end, he smiled and waved. He would have done well to address why the administration want some lecturers removed and what is being done to address the critical shortage of equipment at the laboratories and at various departments of the university. But he didn’t and amid smiling and resenting viewpoints of others, he seemed tired.
Peter Persaud took a bathroom break and at question time, time only allowed for four, with the first directed to Granger.
Two questions regarding race were directed directly to Ramotar. When asked what he will do to combat inequality in the country, Ramotar responded that “I don’t think your question is correct.” He said he “resents” the view that every Indian who rose to the top got there because of race. “I really resent that view,” he stated while pointing out that the top brass of the security forces are Guyanese of African descent. He also resented statements with regards to the ethnic distribution of diplomats.
Lines were being formed at the three microphones (18 persons waiting at one) and questions were in the air. Anticipation was high. All was brought to a screeching halt with the arrival of the bewitching hour of 5pm. The candidates apparently had better things to do than give up some time and answer questions from what they described as “the future” of the country. Many blamed Ramotar.
If presidential candidates were horses, one would be tired, another would be unlikely to take a frisky little gallop, the third would prefer bluegrass with wine and the fourth would be an unknown entity.
So it goes. Paulette Paul asked the candidates to ensure the removal of campaign material from the campus and thus the one-sided discourse that was not a debate ended. The candidates got up, escorted out by shouting supporters and the GWLT – hot on sunny days and leaky whenever it rains – emptied and another day was done.
