Dear Editor,
In reference to Mike Persaud’s letter in SN (‘Coalition government and shared governance are different concepts,’ July 5), he accuses me of not understanding the difference between coalition government and shared governance, and Editor, I have to suppress a chuckle which breaks into a wide laugh when he pontificates from his Queens, New York safe perch with his nonsense. The concept of shared coalition governance is one which has no contradictions because the ethnic split in our political life can only be healed by new experiments in sharing the pie of development and coalescing around common goals. .
Editor, Mr Persaud likes to repeat himself, parrot style, about the need to break off 5-6% of the Indians to beat the PPP, that the PNC should have an Indian presidential candidate, and that APNU is too African-oriented, etc. This is all based on race and pitched to Guyanese voters over and over; he is living in the past and giving advice from his safe haven in Queens, NY. He obviously does not understand the political situation here in Guyana, so he spouts sheer nonsense thinking that Guyanese voters can’t think for themselves.
Editor, Mr Persaud has the gumption to say that David Hinds is the “father” and “architect” of shared coalition governance when in fact one can go as far back to 330 bc when Alexander the Great conquered the Persian empire and practised shared governance in his new domains by not only marrying the sister of his enemy, the dead Persian king, Darius and adopting Darius’s mother as his own, but incorporating his former enemies into governance and even into his famed Macedonian army.
George Washington, when he formed the first government of the USA, shared governance with the 13 original states of the first union and incorporated leaders of the Republican political organizations (Jefferson) and the Federalists (Hamilton), opposing political interests, into his first government. The list of shared coalition governance in history can go on and on but Mr Persaud, in his infinite wisdom, sits in Queens and decides that it can never work. David Hinds is certainly not the person to be described as an architect of shared governance as his positions are really akin to Mike Persaud’s.
Editor, Mr Persaud thinks of himself as some kind of political analyst when the bunk he writes reflects a racial viewpoint and narrowness. He accuses me of trying to confuse the people of Guyana when, in fact, we have heard similar nonsense before as we descended into ethnic division and poor economic performance. It’s about time that we faced up to the challenges of inclusive shared coalition governance and ignored the confusion and pessimism spouted by the Mike Persauds.
Yours faithfully,
Cheddi (Joey) Jagan (Jr)
