Dear Editor,
Now that the groundbreaking, history making PPP Congress is over (thankfully), it is time for a slightly mischievous, somewhat satirical look at what happened.
Roger Luncheon has to be beside himself – no, he is not imprisoning himself in Olympian phrases and declarations. He will agree that Guyana is the land of six races at last count. But how to explain his number 7 position? He was not only a dark horse, but an outside one too. Perhaps after all these years of carrying that bunch of ingrates on his back, the best he amounts to is a wooden horse, one that the kids ride at fairs and toy stores, and now Congress too. Except in his case, adults are doing the riding.
Next there was the guy from the ‘Night of the Generals.’ He is a definite sleeper if I ever saw one. This Omar is no Dr Zhivago, but all business. And in PPP parlance, business could be anything from… to…. This guy could be a real Fireball. Just wait and watch.
Then I froze. There was the star of the show, the party animal, the last man standing (admittedly listing slightly to starboard) and the sentimental favourite ‒ the one and only K Lall. I always knew that I had secret admirers in the party, but really guys, you shouldn’t have… Thanks for the thought anyway. But seriously, this particular presence on the Central Committee shows that communist red is brighter and thicker than any blood on a given day. Clearly, the delegates were having a jolly time. It is likely that the organizers spiked the water to ensure absolute compliance with the programme directions as handed down from above.
Last, it is obvious that the PPP has grown increasingly image conscious, and most inclusive. Sorry, there is one more thing. In a regular open place that $30 million bill for the proceedings could be expected to be clean, honestly earned funds. I am sure it is, but let us avoid embarrassing people by asking them for the source of wealth for such a meagre sum. What is it, US$150, 000? Chicken feed, folks; plain chicken feed. As for that $2.6 million cash surplus, I must hand it to the man. It is a nice, safe, reasonable sum. There are people selling icicles and watchbands on the streets carrying around more than that for change money. One has to wonder where the real surplus of the party is stashed away. Will somebody please tell? If not, then I may have to, and that would not be welcome.
Still it was a real constructive, entertaining, spellbinding, thought provoking, laugh inducing Congress. Next time hold it in Moscow or Beijing. Lots of vodka there. The citizens could use it.
Yours faithfully,
GHK Lall