Dear Editor,
With respect to the letter ‘The issue is not the ethnicity of a presidential candidate but their competence and integrity’ (SN, September 12) by Ms Gillian Burton, President, Guyana Trades Union Congress, no one can fault the argument reflected in the title. It makes very good sense in a multiethnic society. The two points that stuck out in the letter that raise eyebrows are the statements:
“That is why I was somewhat disappointed that one of my brother trade unionists should offer the opinion that an Indian presidential candidate is not the answer to Guyana’s problems.”
What is Ms Burton talking about? If this is public comment she is referring to, then she should name the trade unionist because what these workers rights’ advocates say and do impact on the lives of all workers. As far as I am aware (and I know I am not alone on this) the only trade unionist that has been public about race and the presidential candidate is Mr Lincoln Lewis, General Secretary, Guyana Trades Union Congress, and General Secretary, Caribbean Congress of Labour. In his words extracted from a letter written by him and carried in your newspaper on August 23, Mr Lewis said, “The constitution is very clear on the qualifying conditions to aspire to the office of president, and race is not among them. Having met the constitutional requirement the next thing persons generally care about is the candidate’s background and ability supported by a programme which will offer the society opportunities to be better off than it is today. If for some reason that person happens to be an Indian or whomever, so be it, but to make race a factor in selecting a candidate is not only unconstitutional, but discriminatory.”
In this argument Mr Lewis and Ms Burton seems to be saying the same thing, until she made reference to Mr Murray. This is why I am confused as to what she is talking about, and perhaps she can point readers to the public statement made by her fellow trade union colleague that speaks to what she is saying.
This brings me to the next statement of concern:
“The person best qualified to lead Guyana at this point in its history is Mr Winston Murray.” Were this statement standing independent of the foregoing it would make total sense. Mr Murray has his admirers and detractors and they will make the case for or against, that is the nature of life, but for Ms Burton to bring in the argument on race and then push Mr Murray, an Indian, as the best presidential candidate she is playing a very disingenuous game.
She therefore needs to clarify what she is saying.
Yours faithfully,
Humphrey Charles