Dear Editor,
It is very difficult to take Mr Jerome Khan seriously since he reads plain English like this and sees in it a tantrum, a fit, and a deepening vortex that swallows. I hope everyone is amused as I am by his rather wonderful purple prose. Humour at this time is most refreshing.
It really does not matter that he still fails to grasp the contents of my original letter since the important issue is that our young voters, who are no doubt bright and capable, must be aware that no one can simply put aside the past as the coalition is asking them to do, and are also aware of the responsibility that the voting process requires of them.
Elections are a fundamental cornerstone of democracy and the process should not be subverted by anyone asking any voter to evade, forget, or put aside any issue, event, or parts of the past when making their choice.
Our political history did not start in 1992 with the PPP coming to office and as much as the coalition is taking the PPP to task on its record of corruption and cronyism, the PNC, now APNU, must expect its own record to be similarly examined. It is a record that includes party paramountcy, institutionalized racism, organized thuggery, and electoral rigging.
While the PPP’s wrongdoings have been committed in the glare of a free press, the PNC’s past is murkier since the regime only allowed the operations of a state run media. A few brave souls like those at the “Catholic Standard” stood up courageously for press freedom and for this Father Darke was mistakenly and brutally assassinated.
There is no comprehensive or objective account of our political history so young voters will have to make their way through a thicket of partisan accounts, edited memories and anecdotal reports to some semblance of the truth. Perhaps, the exercise might be useful and spur some sociologist or historian among them to take up the task of writing a full and proper account.
The intent of my original letter was to ask why the coalition wants voters to put aside the past. The request appeared ominous. Hopefully, the discussion that has followed might be of use to some voters in helping them decide.
As to pickney being on the PPP list, our electoral process is different but is every bit as democratic as the US’s and since the PNC/APNU participated in deciding the process and its rules, what then is their vexation? They made the rules together with the PPP and agreed that buddy and pickney and granny and everybody can be on the list and gain political office.
The rising rant and clamour of the campaign are to be expected. Let us hope that sober heads will prevail and see the process peacefully concluded.
Yours faithfully,
Ryhaan Shah
