Dear Editor,
With seventeen days to go before the May 11 elections, the fight for the seat of government no longer appears to be between the PPP and APNU/AFC alliance, but between Bharrat Jagdeo, on the one hand, and the Opposition alliance and the majority of Guyanese, on the other hand.
Mr. Jagdeo, who has become the embodiment of the PPP, has literally pushed presidential contender, Mr. Donald Ramotar, out of the political arena and assumed the role of lead agitator and antagonist for the PPP as he engages in a series of highly disturbing rhetoric that can be easily described as downright inflammatory if not borderline seditious. The acidity and intensity of his rhetoric may be manifestations of a deep-seated fear since he apparently has more to lose than the PPP on May 11.
But while Mr. Jagdeo may not only be afraid of what he may lose May 11, it seems he is prepared to take on the military to protect his gains. Many, who deemed his racially divisive rhetoric at Babu Jaan on March 8, 2015 as a highly disquieting vote-getting strategy, now view his rhetoric of the military as potential criminals and supporters of criminals as encroaching into the realm of insanity.
In Stabroek News’ article, “Defiant Jagdeo says critics could have reported him to police – says trust in military broken,” (April 23), Mr. Jagdeo has crossed a visibly pronounced red line by erroneously painting Guyana’s military to the nation as an organisation that cannot be trusted, despite the fact that for the last 22 years, the same military never attempted to overthrow the PPP regime.
The truth is, a number of former military officers, from Chief of Staff to lower levels, as well as a former Police Commissioner, have either gotten involved in or come out in support of the Opposition alliance in the fight for power on May 11. In addition, the Chief Election Officer is also a former soldier, unlike his controversial predecessor, Mr. Gocool Boodoo, who is now a hired consultant in the Local Government Ministry.
But if Mr. Jagdeo is targeting these former soldiers for becoming involved in politics, what does he say of former army and police top brass who worked or still work for the PPP regime? Retired army Major General Joe Singh, is an adviser to the President with an office in the Presidential Complex; retired Major General, Michael Atherly is chair of the Civil Defence Commission in the Ministry of Home Affairs; cashiered Lieutenant, Ronald Gajraj, former Home Affairs Minister and now High Commissioner to India and Bangladesh; retired Brigadier General Bruce Lovell is Military Attache to Brazil, and retired police commissioner, Floyd McDonald, is a consultant with the Home Affairs Ministry. Besides those, former police commissioners, Laurie Lewis and Henry Greene also worked with, the PPP regime, while one current army lieutenant involved in intelligence gathering and a retired assistant police commissioner are suspected of being ‘actively associated’ with the PPP regime. Is Mr. Jagdeo saying former national security officers and officials must deal only with the PPP and its regime?
Now, as far as I am aware, apart from the current Chief of Staff, Brigadier General Mark Phillips, who said former and current soldiers have a right to become involved in politics while urging his underlings not to use army bases to engage in partisan politics and not to be influenced on how to vote, no other army officer on the active payroll has uttered a word for or against any political party, so what is the basis of Mr. Jagdeo’s sudden claim of mistrust of the current army?
He did say, mere days ago, that if the Opposition won May 11, the military would be used to kick down doors and attack people, which was a strange way to describe soldiers as criminals-in-waiting. He followed that up by implying the army deliberately refused to do more to avoid the Lusignan and Bartica massacres and trying to pit two retired army chiefs of staff, Rear Admiral Gary Best against Brigadier-General Edward Collins, against each other by claiming Mr. Collins told Mr. Jagdeo bad things about Mr. Best so Mr. Best would not succeed Mr. Collins. While this truly is typical of Mr. Jagdeo’s juvenile way of thinking and talking, it is no excuse for trying to drag the military into the political arena where the seat of government is the prize.
I wish to close by appealing to all Guyanese, from politicians to ex and current army and police officers to ordinary citizens, not to allow Mr. Jagdeo’s poisoned rhetoric, which is a manifestation of desperation born out of fear of what may happen to him after May 11, to influence them to do anything that would aid and abet the protection of his political and personal gains. This man is deserving of both a Commission of Inquiry and a thorough national and international forensic audit for what happened while in office after he left office.
Yours faithfully,
Emile Mervin
