Irfaan Ali should clear the air on his academic credentials

Dear Editor,

I refer to the article headlined, “No local accreditation records for school Irfaan Ali used for admission to Indian University” (SN: 23/04/19).  I regret that I find it necessary to make these comments.

To begin with, and to be brutally frank, I have scant interest in writing about the candidate, or his credentials, or the legitimacy of them, or anything related to either him or those controversial papers. Whenever I do so, I am left in a place that is not too clean or righteous; that is not good for temperateness nor conscience nor soul. On the other hand, since the presidency of this dear land is involved, and all the considerable powers that are attached, I am duty bound to share a thought or two.

Second, a careful look at the comments of those who have made public statements in support of the candidate’s credentials are noticeable for being studiously generalised and lacking in power or defining thrust. They have attained that dubious watermark of saying much without saying anything; pro forma offerings. I must familiarise myself with that skill.  It’s as if these fine gentlemen, erstwhile comrades all, knew that there was a script to follow, and motions to be gone through, which, to their credit, they did. And then they rapidly withdrew behind the barricades of copious silence. That, too, is a remarkable gift for otherwise garrulous natives, aggressively garrulous ones. Nobody wants to be caught speaking out of turn, or being available so that they can be put on the spot.

Editor, that is fine, maybe even could be understood in the routines of the day, and having to deal with insufferable news hounds. But this is someone running for the office of president of the republic. A leader is the standard bearer and sets the tone for what are the values and practices of the populace. As he or she goes, the rest take their cue: it is a free for all for those with little virtue; or, when the right man is at the helm, citizens are forced to come ever so reluctantly to some point of imitation.

Thus, reasonable questions should be answered; and in this wide-open day and electronic age, the questions never stop coming. Not answering opens the door to any and every manner of dark speculation. No candidate, nor those who tender backing, should be desirous of operating under such haziness. There cannot be any backing away from delivering what is owed to the public.  To cut a real fine point on this, it is not half of a public (citizenry), but all of it that is due. What one segment could care less about, rises to an altogether different level with the other. This means those levels that are concentrated on standards, principles, and ethics. If it is credentials today, then what is promised for later, as in beyond elections?

Along the same lines, for the candidate to clam up rather suspiciously and refer all and sundry to social media posts is simply not good enough. Whether previous posts and disclosures are still there or not is irrelevant.  In fact, I would go so far as to say that such referring is insulting to the Fourth Estate specifically, and to the wider watching Guyana in general.  Further, I would venture that there are distinctive shades of his mentor on display, and already at this early stage when nothing has been decided. All of this brings cringing, and is not advantageous to his candidacy. I will go even further than before: the highly influential foreigners are watching.  They do not miss a single word or posture. They matter. He does himself serious discredit by these muscular dismissals. Of course, it does not help that the champion (refurbished and all for overseas stomachs and temperaments), is viewed in, shall I say, less than glowing terms.

Because of all the foregoing, I think it is imperative that the candidate divests himself of the arrogance in which he has shrouded himself on this matter. He should do whatever he could, and all that he could, to clear the air once and for all on this troubling issue. If he insists (which is the right of any ordinary citizen, but not one running for the highest office), on bluster and blankness, and on evasion and dismissal, then I repeat my question from before: if this is the stand today on something like this, then what is in store after the votes are counted?  That is, if Guyana’s worst nightmare should come to pass? I should care about the authenticity of qualifications; but the quality of character, and the calibre of the man behind the paper are the things what matter more to me. The two are indistinguishable. And about that, frankly I give a damn.

Yours faithfully,

GHK Lall