Dear Editor,
I suppose that the PPP’s campaign manager, Mr Robert Persaud, must be rather busy since from all reports, the PPP’s campaign for re-election is in tatters and reeling from self-inflicted wounds. Part and parcel of this is the logistical challenges associated with transporting crowds from meeting to meeting. However, surely someone from that organization must have informed Mr Persaud that there are some damaging allegations being levelled against him in the public domain.
Editor, if Mr Persaud professes to have been conferred with a PhD, MRCS, FRCS, Nobel Prize or claims to be a NASA scientist, the inventor of a time machine or even the discoverer of gravity, in his capacity as a private citizen, I have absolutely no business in questioning his claims, and nor should any person.
However, Mr Persaud is a Minister of Government and represents the Guyanese people. He has a duty therefore to act with honesty and integrity. If Mr Persaud is not the holder of an MBA degree, as is being alleged, he should do the honourable thing and resign immediately.
Yours faithfully,
George Bulkan
Editor’s note
We sent a copy of this letter to Minister Robert Persaud for any comment he might wish to make and received the following response from the People’s Progressive Party that did not carry the name of a signatory.
“The People’s Progressive Party/Civic would like to condemn the slanderous, rumour-mongering and unwarranted attacks being perpetrated by APNU/AFC at its public meetings and through opposition newspapers and the APNU’s One Voice News Network.
“APNU/AFC cannot confront the People’s Progressive Party/Civic nor its Presidential Candidate, Mr Donald Ramotar in a debate on plans and vision for Guyana. However, it is understood that people without plans and vision will resort to personal attacks and slander against members of the PPP/C and their families rather than promoting what they intend to do for the people of Guyana.
“The recent public attacks on the PPP/C organizers, supporters and more recently the credentials of the Minister of Agriculture, Robert Persaud and other government functionaries is a reflection of the frustration and lack of leadership of APNU and AFC. The assertions by APNU’s George Bulkan and his political handlers will not gain any momentum for APNU at the upcoming polls as the Guyanese public is well informed of the PPP/C’s credentials and future plans.
“APNU and the AFC are disorganized and now resorting to rumour-mongering, propagating disunity and promoting dastardly attacks because they have nothing palatable to offer the people of Guyana. Meanwhile, the PPP/C has been in the forefront to engage the citizens of this country highlighting the vision and future plans for Guyana and more importantly how further transformation will be realized.
“As we approach Election Day, the opposition and its supporters are becoming more desperate in their attempts to create disunity and spread havoc amongst Guyanese. The PPP/C is therefore urging all political parties to avoid the incitement of violence and racial disunity and allow for the successful hosting of national and general elections.
“This and other similar acts of desperation are appearing more frequently as we approach November 28, 2011. Additionally, there seems to be an abandonment of all appearances of decency as is exhibited in a statement issued by APNU’s so called ‘Once Voice News Network,‘ dated November 18, 2011…
“The remainder of the newsletter follows in similar vein a litany of distortions, misrepresentations and lies which are all engineered to make a mockery of the APNU and AFC signing on to the GECOM sponsored Code of Conduct for Political Parties Contesting the 2011 General and Regional Elections.
“Can anyone deny that the particular APNU publication is not offensive to the declaration of the parties to, ‘forbid the publication of any pamphlet, poster, cartoon or any other material containing texts which could offend or incite people to cause public disorder.‘ We invite the Guyana Elections Commission to investigate.
“A copy of Minister Persaud’s MBA certificate is attached.”
