Dear Editor,
It is my opinion that the arrest of Dr Randy Persaud in New York in what appears to be a shouting match between two Guyanese political factions is regrettable.
It seems true that President Jagdeo, as an after thought, appointed his Presidential candidate a last minute presidential adviser, in the last months of his own term. This makes the candidate a government official, enabling him to travel free for all purposes, including electioneering. That is a basic provocation and may have sparked protest from opposition forces as part of the election campaign in Guyana. What is the point of performing corrupt practices while denouncing those of the PNC before 1992?
Rallies in foreign countries are probably mainly for fundraising.
The opposition saw the New York, Queens rally as fundraising by the ruling party at the expense of the funds of Guyanese taxpayers, including those oppressed by VAT. It is a crooked arrangement favouring not the official “immune ” president a non-candidate, but the ruling party’s presidential candidate. The Guyana Elections Commission should have an opinion on this since the candidate has been officially announced.
Something in it smacks of unfairness and inequality. Lawyers should advise whether the use of government resources by the ruling party is a corrupt practice as I claim it is. I am professionally advised that Commonwealth law reports of the 1970s should be helpful.
At any rate it is my considered opinion that the arrest of a Guyanese activist of any party on the ground of speech requires the protest of all alert Guyanese.
We have seen international bodies dancing to the tune of the Guyana government in punishing personnel. Notably Dr Janette Bulkan and Dr, Carl Greenside for speech that displeased the Guyana government. No government including the USA lifted its voice against these dismissals clearly covered by the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
For all that, we should denounce the arrest of the PPP activist not only as excessive, but also as setting a precedent with far reaching implications. It can happen to unattached Guyanese without the government support enjoyed by the present victim.
Yours faithfully,
Eusi Kwayana
