Dear Editor,
Forget about the parties. Let’s examine the individuals. As election 2011 approaches I see no candidate that impresses me with the charisma of a president.
The Donald of the PPP/C is the least impressive. While campaigning for President Jagdeo’s last term in office I heard him utter one of the cheapest lines I have ever heard from any politician: “Where were all these people [referring to all the other presidential candidates and parties] when we were struggling to build this country?” This is politics penny per pound. To me it was a blatant attempt to monopolize politics – and they are the ones who claim that they have fought for democracy in this country. Ten percent of the people who were supporting the PPP/C were selling that to each other to justify their support for the party.
If we have to vote for someone to be president on the grounds that he or she did something to help return Guyana to democracy then our mentality is in desperate need of repair. Why can’t we let history take care of these self professed champions of democracy, or maybe build a Hall of Fame for them and move on?
When I look at APNU I see a conglomerate of sheep with a lone wolf in the midst. Memories of the PNC-UF coalition come to mind. Whatever David did to convince Congress Place that he was the right choice is unknown to me. Since he comes from the military I see nothing to suggest that he is business savvy. The things they teach you in those military academies are of a different nature. I understand he favours the return of National Service. What could inspire people to vote for this guy for president?
Ramjattan claims that he left the PPP because they were corrupt and he couldn’t get them to change their ways. True or false I have no problem with that. The Donald told a gathering in Essequibo that Ramjattan was defending drug dealers so they kicked him out. This I have a problem with.
Is a drug dealer more of a criminal than a murderer? Is a man not free to practise his profession because of his political affiliation? If for example Donald was trying to say that Ramjattan was using his political influence to get favourable verdicts for his clients that would make the PPP/C government guilty of misconduct. It would be admitting that the government had influence over the justice system.
Ramjattan has his flaws too. Matters of the country should not be treated as a topic for debate in a secondary school. He seems bent on attacking Bharrat’s LCDS, despite the scientific community’s plea that we need to do something about global warming. I personally think the LCDS is a good thing and in my book Bharrat would go down as a brilliant president who lacks the will to control the people around him and turns a blind eye to corruption.
What I would like to see in this country is independent candidates likeYog Mahadeo, Yesu Persaud, Christopher Ram – business oriented people running for president. How about people from the intelligentsia like garrulous FK, who seems full of criticism and low on ideas, running too?
I want to be a parliamentarian too; I don’t want to get there by sitting on some party candidates’ list and should that party win, I have to give my heart and soul to the beast for five years, voting yes and no in parliament when I’m told to.
I would be ashamed to tell people that I am an MP because in reality I would just be a member.
This is the democracy the Donald and his cohorts would have you believe they fought so hard for, and for this you should support them. How many people out there know who is the MP for their geographic constituency?
I want to be able to campaign in my constituency telling the people how I would let their concerns be heard in parliament; how they could call or write to me about any matter that concerns or affects them. Should they elect me I would be their representative in a parliament where no voting on issues should be a secret.
The people in all the constituencies must know how their MP voted on every issue, because after five years the MPs would need to go back to their constituents to seek a new mandate.
Parliament would become the new breeding ground for presidential aspirants. True leaders would get their chance to shine in the eyes of the people as individuals.
Why should our presidential candidates be coming from the dark, undemocratic membership of the Central Executive Committee at Freedom House or Sandhurst military academy or some law school in England?
Yours faithfully,
Rudolph Singh
