Dear Editor,
The poor and distasteful selection of items performed at the nation’s 49th Independence Anniversary celebrations reflect how out of touch with ideals and culture some of us have become. What did the planners and executors of the activity held last Tuesday at the National Stadium, Providence, expect PPP/C supporters and other Guyanese to do while those on the stage were performing the APNU+AFC song? That was supposed to be a national event, void of any politics and elections mockery! That event was not the time and place for such nonsense and insensitivity.
The event lacked quality as much as it did objectivity. I won’t discuss the other flaws that other letter writers may have pointed out last week but future events like these need to be planned better and with much more thought. Not only did the items to a large extent only reflect one ethnic group in Guyana—yes that’s the fact—but the items and so- called cultural presentations lacked preparation and planning.
Given our past experiences where political leaders used their speeches on various platforms and at various events to spew garbage and irrelevant, off-the-topic sentiments, one would have hoped that this new Administration would try to set the precedent.
It was not nice, too when Minister of Citizenship, Mr. Winston Felix at the Berbice Independence Flag raising at State House in New Amsterdam, started to attack the PPP/C, rousing those gathered—Guyanese comprising of all ethnicities and political persuasions. The speech, which was the feature address at the function, was largely devoted to criticizing the former Administration and talking about the recent APNU+AFC win. I have the utmost respect for the Honourable Minister, but that was highly distasteful and unprofessional. Let these things be corrected in the future.
Our government officials including Ministers and Vice Presidents must realize that they have now shed their APNU+AFC- ness so that they can become a Government to serve all—- all Guyanese, APNU+AFC, PPP, WPA, TUF, and GAP supporters— all Guyanese!
Yours faithfully,
Leon Suseran