Dear Editor,
Once again we have observed that the PPP’s phantom propaganda is at it again, this time trying their utmost to tarnish the unenviable political reputation of a political hero in Guyana; Moses Nagamootoo. Their miasmic piece captioned `Nagamootoo aiding PNC by withholding stolen Mirror newspapers that could assist the Rodney Commission’ represents nothing but an insult to the intelligence of the Guyanese people.
Firstly, they are accusing Mr. Nagamootoo, a dedicated and patriotic Guyanese of not assisting the Rodney Commission. Secondly, they are accusing him of aiding the PNC. And thirdly their claim that he has stolen the Mirror newspapers is a blatant lie. The friends of this national patriot and political stalwart have nothing but the power of truth to offer in rejecting these untruths and distortions from the PPP propaganda machinery. After all, Mr. Nagamootoo remains the only political candidate alive in present day Guyana who has the credibility and support of the masses across all racial/religious lines to assemble a political force to trounce the PPP at the next General Elections. We are fully aware that he is more than competent to defend himself but we want to bring out some hard facts to expose these false allegations.
With the half way mark of the most uninspiring and leaderless Ramotar term in office now past, the PPP has awoken up to the political reality that their chance of winning the 51 percent of the votes at the next election is impossible and highly unlikely. And their “goose will be cooked” if at anytime they decide to call local government elections. So in step with their political play-book and traditions, if their “duck” cannot win in a fair fight, then they must fight unfairly and throw as much mud as possible on the most credible candidates with the hope that some will stick. Well this set of mud definitely will not stick on a decent man like Mr. Nagamootoo because these facts will leave the PPP standing naked; again.
The Facts.
1.The political history of Guyana illustrates that as a senior executive member of the PPP, Moses Nagamootoo was one of the principal agents in favour of a National Front Government and a Coalition for Democracy during the Rodney era and he had the full support of Dr. Jagan and Dr. Rodney on this principle. We can recall history when in 1979 on a joint WPA/PPP political meeting in Kitty; Nagamootoo and Rodney were the main speakers and the crowd was transfixed with their message. Of course the House of Israel people were there. They threw formalin on Moses while he was speaking and he fell. It was Walter Rodney personally who applied the wet cloth on his face with these words “go back up there and tell your story Moses, I am with you…”. Moses went back to the microphone and the rest is history. Why would Moses not assist any Commission that can find the truth behind the murder of Walter?
2. Moses Nagamootoo is now a leading member of the opposition AFC in Parliament and in the interest of the people he has to conduct business with the Leader of the Opposition who is also Leader of the PNC. It would be political pettiness and a departure from parliamentary protocols and conventions if the AFC does not work with the APNU in ensuring that the State delivers more to the people, especially the poor and the working class more often and less to the rich who are friends and relatives of the Stalinist dictators at Freedom House. So Moses Nagamootoo has done nothing wrong by engaging with the APNU in his struggle to help the poor whom the PPP has abandoned. But true to form, the inept PPP with its infantile politics are grossly uncomfortable with this functional relationship between APNU and the AFC to bring greater good to the poor and the working class.
3. We were advised that when the agreement was signed between the PPP and “Super Foods Inc” (an outfit controlled by Ed Ahmad who pleaded guilty to fraud the US Federal Court in New York and is awaiting sentence), the new owners destroyed hundreds of pounds of valuable archival material at the Mirror newspaper printery. Some was transported to Freedom House and Red House but a fair amount was destroyed in the transition. Can this be where the Mirror newspaper from the Rodney era has vanished? But following their political playbook, the PPP never takes blame for their gross incompetence; it is always someone else.
The fact remains that the PPP never intended for any proper investigation to be conducted into the death of Dr. Rodney, instead, the Rodney Commission is being used as an extension of their propaganda machine. One of the most important persons of interest into the death of Rodney was Mr. Laurie Lewis, former Commissioner of Police who headed the National Guard Service and of course the state spy squad in those days called the Police Special Branch. He served the PPP for over a decade but they had no interest in allowing his testimony because of what it would have brought out. Upon the death of Laurie Lewis, the PPP felt confident enough to appoint this “quasi-judicial circus”, not to get to the truth, but to use it as “brownie points” to undermine the political fortunes of people like Moses Nagamootoo and David Granger. Well if we were Nagamootoo and Granger, we would have turned up at the Commission and speak the truth and turn the PPP strategy on its head since the evidence at our disposal clearly shows Nagamootoo and Granger had absolutely nothing to do with Rodney’s death.
Moses Nagamootoo shall be vindicated and the people of Guyana will see this inquiry as a farce.
Yours faithfully,
Dr. Asquith Rose and Harish Singh