Dear Editor,
As the person to whom tremendous prominence was given in his letter in Stabroek News on December 30, captioned ‘A group is trying to push an extremist agenda on the administration’ I crave your indulgence to offer a response to PPP/C General Secretary Clement Rohee.
The first point I wish to make is this: Mr Rohee is not a naïve politician. Many often overlook his political astuteness, forgetting that he came through the ranks of the PPP/C and benefited during the days of the Cold War from years of training in the best political and propaganda schools in Eastern Europe. It is therefore not surprising that he brings to bear in his letter his experience in political propaganda.
Secondly, I submit here that Mr Rohee’s reaction to my letter represents not only his personal views but also those of the PPP/C leadership. It confirms my observation that the PPP/C’s approach to its new role as opposition is to engage in hostile and aggressive political tactics to force the APNU+AFC government to a position of not prosecuting PPP/C wrongdoers. In his letter he accused me and other comrades of pushing an extremist agenda on the Granger administration and in the process attributed to me political influence that I wish I had.
For the record I wish to state that the government would be making a big political mistake if it does not honour its commitment to the nation to prosecute wrongdoers and seek to recover stolen state assets, is a principled political position that has nothing to do with vendetta. However, I do admit that my position is influenced by ideological considerations based purely on the need for justice. The saying that what is good for the goose is also good for the gander is applicable here. The logic of the PPP/C General Secretary is that we as a nation must continue to accept the double standards that were on display during the tenure of the PPP/C government, ie, a situation which saw one law for the poor and powerless and another for the rich and the politically powerful. This would mean a situation where some citizens are sentenced to jail for stealing mangoes while political criminals go unpunished after stealing millions from the state and the people.
Good governance, democracy and the rule of law make it imperative for the nation to come to grips with the political dilemma it faces. Guyana cannot go forward unless we resolve this historic challenge of a criminalized state. The rule of law must be re-established. If this represents extremist politics, I am on good ground for advancing the cause since the majority of the Guyanese people share the view that justice must be done.
Mr Rohee and other elements in the PPP/C leadership have consistently taken the position that nothing wrong was done and that they played by the rules. Their supporters and the nation have been assured by them that all the government is doing is witch hunting and the audits will not support allegations of wrongdoing by the PPP/C regime. Given these statements of self-confidence in their innocence I find Mr Rohee’s panic response, contradictory. If he is so confident of the PPP/C’s leanness and cleanness in government – why worry?
It will be remiss of me not to recognize what this letter is really about. He is trying to sow seeds of division in the APNU+AFC coalition by raising the red herring that extremists are seeking to set the President and government’s agenda. Sadly, the PPP/C leadership and Mr Rohee are clutching at straws.
Yours faithfully,
Tacuma Ogunseye
