Dear Editor,
In a letter captioned “Many soldiers were upset by the President’s remarks” Mr. Oliver Hinckson referred to the President making “snide remarks” about soldiers. He also stated that the President thinks he knows it all in his words “Mr. Jagdeo in his customary”know all”mode.” These remarks are true and are the reason why Bharrat Jagdeo should never have been elevated to the Presidency. In fact he was an unknown until he was made a minister of government. It was then he contested the elections to the central committee of the PPP and he got in because of the popularity gained by being a minister.
His leap to the Presidency went to his head and he became arrogant and convinced of his high intelligence and intellect and so he simply does not listen. I want to make it clear that while there may be some ex soldiers, and also some police and soldiers who have been misled to use crime against the government, the majority of these categories are decent, law abiding citizens and to lump them into one negative category by snide remarks was absolutely wrong. If the President has any sense of decency he should apologise.
While the criminals are roaming freely in the backlands the President seems to be satisfied with road blocks along the East Coast and East Bank road and the finding of a few small weapons.
The President should resign as he is incompetent. He travels around the country handing out government money as if it is his own. This is what he does best. He is not a healer and his statements are often divisive.
The PPP should look out and the members should note that since Bharatt became president the face of the PPP is changing. The committed are being shunted aside and a new breed is taking over. The new breed have no ideology and no commitment to party and people only to themselves. These in turn bring in their friends and family and so the PPP is now barely recognized. One can recall how Moses Nagamootoo with one of the highest votes at congress was not elected by the Central committee to the executive committee. That is why if the PPP members are interested in maintaining the PPP and Cheddi’s principles the Presidential candidate should be chosen at the PPP congress. With regards to Hinckson’s reference to the customary role of the army I can only say that times are changing. Other countries have been forced to use the army in the fight against crime. In Guyana crime was bordering on terror and recent events seem to confirm this. With regards to the “phantom squad” and Hinckson referring to them as cowards the “soldiers with the highest nobility” and the police could not contain the criminals and so the “the cowardly Phantoms” were forced to do so and successfully. Had they done their job there would have been no need for the Phantom squad.
The country is awaiting the actions of the army and police. If they fail the people have a right to defend themselves.
Yours faithfully,
Jairam Persaud
