Dear Editor,
Ms Lurlene Nestor lives in America and so does David Hinds. It’s not a crime to live and work in America unless you are doing so illegally. Our constitution does not prevent anyone from leaving Guyana unless you are blacklisted, thus preventing you from doing so by the competent legal authorities here in Guyana. So Mr Hinds and Ms Nestor are in possession of their ‘get out of jail cards’ on these two counts. However, from the comfort of their residences in the United States they would write or make speeches attacking the current PPP/C administration. Their attacks are politically extremist. And they are accountable to none.
There must be something morally wrong about this. Imagine people who (a) pay no taxes in this country; (b) have never lifted a finger to produce a good or service for export or to be consumed in Guyana; (c) made no contribution to national development save for writing articles, penning letters to the editor, making speeches at political party meetings seeking to mesmerize people into believing that they are the true messiahs.
What are their contributions to growth and development in Guyana? I’ve often asked myself if these people have ever stopped and wondered how Guyana continues to exist with Guyanese living in peace and harmony since the 1960s, notwithstanding all the negatives Mr Hinds and Ms Nestor expound almost on a daily basis.
If ever there are tensions in our society it is because of the political opposition fuelled by sections of the media, and rarely the government. Left to themselves the working people of Guyana would carry on with their daily lives save for their concerns with bread and butter issues, which require negotiation by their representatives with a view to arriving at win-win solutions.
Talking about solutions, my attention was drawn to a story in the Stabroek News of Monday June 18, 2012 where it was reported that David Hinds, speaking at a Water Rodney Memorial Lecture is purported to have said: “If, within the upcoming six months no change is witnessed in the political atmosphere and an embracing of racial unity particularly in the National Assembly, a situation may exist where Guyanese would take things into their own hands”
Later on, taking his cue from the ‘intellectual mentor’ of the WPA Rupert Roopnaraine in an interview with Kaieteur News he stated: “It is time to bring the people back into the fray en masse.” He went on to add: “I am optimistic that the accumulation of demands will soon take its toll on the administration, and wish to stress that this will be done in conjunction with extra-parliamentary actions.”
Not to be left out, Mr Khemraj Ramjattan at a news conference held on June 21, 2012 stated: “If there is an increase [in electricity rates] it could create a crisis in Linden, it could create demonstrations in Linden… it could fuel national unrest.”
So what do we have here? Readers should put the pieces together and draw their own conclusions as regards the agenda at least of a section of the APNU, namely the WPA and the AFC. We do not know as yet whether this is a policy position of the entire APNU. Time and future developments will tell.
In a letter published on June 25, 2012 in the Stabroek News Ms Nestor sought clarity on what is meant by a “potentially delicate period of national security.” The answer to Ms Nestor can be found in the statements made by Messrs Hinds, Roopnaraine and Ramjattan. Instead of pretending to be a political analyst Ms Nestor should read carefully the statements of her political allies in the APNU and the AFC and consider their implications for maintaining peace and good order in Guyana.
Finally, Messrs Granger, Roopnarine, Hinds and Ms Nestor must be reminded that whenever they make reference to the “people of Guyana” they must bear in mind that 166,294 or 48.4 per cent from a total of 347,572 people voted for the PPP/C. These people look to
those whom they elected to represent them effectively in and out of Parliament and that is precisely what we will do.
Further, now that we have formed the government, our responsibility is not only towards the 166,294 people or 48.4 per cent of the electorate who voted for us but to the nation as a whole including the 40.9 per cent and the 10.3 per cent of the electorate who voted for the APNU and AFC respectively.
Thus, guided by the constitution and the Laws of Guyana we will execute our functions without fear or favour, affection or ill will. The overwhelming majority of Guyanese look to the Ramotar administration with confidence and optimism.
Yours faithfully,
Clement J Rohee
Member of the Central
& Executive Committee
People’s Progressive Party
