Guyana Observer News

On being right

Monday, 13 July 2009

I started doing columns in 1988, and my thoughts, opinions and expressions about the PPP’s use of power, the PPP’s approach to politics since 1992 and the nature of Mr. Jagdeo’s presidency have been consistently on target. I do make normative judgements which can be contested. It doesn’t mean that I am right. But many times, I have stood alone in certain evaluations and later, I have been proven right. Any consistent study of the PPP in power and Mr. Jagdeo’s handling of authority and power (I am making a distinction here between the two terminologies- authority is a legal and sociological concept while power has enormous political connotation not necessarily carrying legal status) would lead one into a predictability mode where their assessments would hardly be wrong.

Take Minister Frank Anthony. I have never had a word with Dr. Anthony before or after he became a Minister. The only time I have uttered a word to him was when I wasn’t looking where I was going, and I almost bumped into him at the Roti Hut. I had no reason to see him as one who would fall down after he became a Minister.

But I know the nature of the PPP and the PPP Government so when I met nationally known writer, Barrington Braithwaite outside the Guyana Post Office Corporation, I immediately told him to quit his participation in Carifesta because he won’t get paid. This is what I said to Barry who is a good friend, “Barry, I know these people, you are not going to get paid for your work; these people are hopelessly incompetent.”

When I told Barry that, I hadn’t Dr. Anthony in mind. I had no particular government official in mind. I was directing my remarks to the political leadership of the State in Guyana. This was before the start of Carifesta. We al know what happened after Carifesta was over.

Barry, Ron Robinson, that legendary figure, and so many other Guyanese artists had to picket and protest outside the Carifesta Secretariat for their remuneration. I don’t know if Barry ever got paid. I don’t know how many of the protesting performers got paid but I doubt most of them did. I was told the money simply ran out. So who was right and who was wrong? Wasn’t I proven deadly accurate?

Let’s look at one of the PPP leaders, Mr. Ralph Ramkarran. Mr. Ramkarran is the object of intense discussion in the letter pages of both independent dailies. Respected freedom fighters like Tacuma Ogunseye, Dr. David Hinds and Eusi Kwayana had made some trenchant judgements on Mr. Ramkarran.

All three have taken the position that they thought Mr. Ramkarran was at least a cut above the rest in the PPP but now see him as just another PPP propagandist. Here are some of the relevant quotes: (Ogunseye), “I hope Mr. Ramkarran will demonstrate political maturity by publicly correcting his falsification of this country’s political history”, (SN June 22, 09).

Mr. Kwayana wrote; “Mr. Ramkarran has more than anecdotes. He has notes of my state of mind. He rules his own evidence to be in order. Mr. Ramkarran does not know which record he is defending”, (SN, June 26, 09). Dr. Hinds wrote that Mr. Ramkarran should not be allowed to get away with obscuring Guyana’s true history, (SN, July 1, 09).

Kwayana, Ogunseye and Hinds thought that Mr. Ramkarran was different. They have now seen the light.

About six years ago, I stood alone in this column when I penned the belief that Mr. Ramkarran was just another typical PPP leader. I wrote that assessment of him after he sued me and this newspaper for libel over what I thought was normal political debate that any politician that believes in democratic exchange should accept.

The paper settled with Mr. Ramkarran. Since that time in my columns I have continued to take the position that Mr. Ramkarran is no different from his PPP acolytes. All PPP leaders are the same. I am still waiting to see who the reformist, the Gorbachev or the Obama is inside the PPP.

I guess you anticipate what subject I will close with; yes, UG. The Stabroek News (July 6) reports the Chairman of the Private Sector Commission, Mr. Jerry Gouveia as calling UG, ‘deplorable and neglected.” We all know that Mr. Gouveia is no critic of the Government.

The new Vice-Chancellor of UG referred to the University’s “crumbling infrastructure”, (SN, June 20, 09). So who was saying these very things for over ten years now and stood alone in making these pronouncements? I could go on. But I’ve made my point.

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