Dear Editor,
It’s great to see that APNU and AFC are in coalition talks. I think it’s definitely time for a change from the PPP/C government. It is time to have a new government review corrupt practices of the past and put into effect practices that will be beneficial to all Guyanese, not just the rich, powerful and corrupt.
It saddens me to see that talks between APNU and AFC seem to be centred on terms for sharing a rotating presidency rather than concentrating on the ultimate effort of what needs to be done to defeat the PPP/C in the shortened time span for campaigning. People need to understand that in a world context the President of Guyana is nothing. What’s great about being the President of Guyana is to have the ability to affect the lives of poor people who are struggling on a daily basis. To have the ability to reduce the suicide rate in such a small country that makes headlines for having one of the highest suicide rates in the world!
Anyway, why should someone who has great vision or knowledge to take the country in the right direction step aside to give someone else the ‘power of the Guyanese presidency.’ Imagine Dr Jagan stepping down to give Bharrat Jagdeo a chance at the presidency on a rotation basis? It takes time to implement your vision; at least a year to start seeing important results. APNU and the AFC need to decide on the best candidate and let that candidate run the entire term. The AFC should not bring how many Indian votes it can get into the equation for determining who should be the presidential candidate. Those are marginal votes akin to the last drop that spills over the cup, albeit a very important drop in this case, but definitely not the reason for having the presidential candidate.
I am not a fan of the PNC (APNU). However, Desmond Hoyte was one of the greatest leaders Guyana ever produced, period. Hoyte did falter in his post-presidency period because of his failure to curb violence which he had the power to do. This is where David Granger has already shown his prowess. This is not something to look at lightly. Here is a situation where a person has put country first ahead of party politics. I think David Granger would be a great leader. I really hope so for the good of Guyana. He seems to remind me of the ‘good’ Desmond Hoyte.
I don’t know Moses Nagamootoo very well. I know he was one of the few PPPites who shared the platform with the WPA when the WPA was in the forefront of the struggle against the Burnham dictatorship.
Yours faithfully,
Vijay Puran