Dear Editor,
I always have to pose myself the question whether to reply or not. The public knows that I write these letters in my own name. Many try to write about others from behind a screen, hiding the writers’ identity. Unless they fear violence, I will not respect the opinions expressed. When you look at the substance, it is already in some book. Of course, many write in their own name and their opinions deserve respect.
One writer, Mr Frederick A. Smith, listed me among some he said made excuses for the neglect of agricultural development of the east coast villages. I ask him kindly to quote me, so that I may explain to his readers the error of my ways.
Mr Kissoon has made the great blunder of writing positively about aspects of my public life. It is generous of him as I have no worldly goods. Few things have earned him as much opposition. He has always to answer for it. They do not know that I have also been an object of his strictures. The second point in this letter comes out of Mr. Kissoon’s statement. I hope he did not say that I am perfect, because I am not. But how dare anyone speak well of Guyana’s best known “racist”! So a writer, S. Amin, asks him questions which I believe Mr Kissoon may not be able to answer. If I remember correctly, like S. Amin, my junior minister was S. Amin, thus the closeness to what I did. Was Mr. Kissoon responsible for what I did as Minister of Home Affairs in 1968, – when I have never held, sought nor accepted ministerial office since 1953? Folklore enters the political discussion. I like folklore. But the writer has to make me a Minister in 1968 so as to “fulfil the book”. The person he should ask is James Goodluck, who wrote in the Chronicle recently that with my help the PNC scored 105 per cent of the registered vote in Buxton in the 1968 election.
If we are to discuss my election activity when I was no longer PPP, I would start before 1968, in particular 1964.
Younger PPP supporters should know how I offended the PPP during the 1964 elections campaign. Previously, in the 1953 campaign Mr Burnham used to say “you can register if you are 21 or look like 21.” Dr Jagan’s version was “if you can have a family at 18, you can vote at 18.”
A creole proverb tells me, “When blind man say he guh pelt you, he got brick under he foot.” (if a blind man threatens to stone you, be sure he already has the stone under his foot.”) In the registration period for the 1964 elections at “claims and objections” time I went to Vigilance Magistrate’s Court and filed objections to certain residents of Enterprise who had registered. Magistrate De Souza was the presiding officer. He was not amused. He chided me in the open public hearing, but had to order the persons challenged to bring their birth certificates at the next hearing.
They returned with them and the magistrate was much calmer. He had to strike most of those I had challenged off the list for registering under age. I have no evidence that such tricks were attempted in any other place. All I know is that the PPP has never forgotten my challenges. I had up to1952 been a primary school teacher and knew the school records. Before filing objections I had caused some names to be examined for dates of birth in the school’s Admission Register. So while some were inflating the votes cast, some were inflating the voters registered. For the 1953 election, registration was by door to door enumeration, largely on trust.
I have never been involved in the PNC’s rigging or election machinery. I came to understand one manner of rigging, not through the famous films which I saw only much later, being isolated. In 1973 I did not vote, stayed at home all day , with ears glued to the radio, and used my imagination. I listened to all who were interviewed and to the various reports.
The plan used in that year became clear to me. It is true that because of what I call an automatic voting bloc after 1955, the PPP has not stolen a government.
Although the PPP did not steal, nor have to steal , a government, its attitude to petty cheating is no better than that of its twin. This fact is a matter of public record in our law reports, well before 1968.
I shall welcome a denial of this fact from one of the PPP zealots. Up to its last election in 2001, the WPA has been the only party of the better known ones discouraging the slightest false registrations or false voting for or against itself. Unfortunately for this there is no reward on earth.
Then there was a question about the relationship between Mr Vibert Da Sent and me. I give Mr Kissoon, as well as Folklorist S. Amin the freedom to disclose anything fishy that he may know or find in that very, very ordinary ,political relationship.
Yours faithfully,
Eusi Kwayana
