Dear Editor,
Mr Bharrat Jagdeo’s decision to re-enter public office which he said in March he had no interest in, is an example of inconsistency and hypocrisy. On Monday he was at it again. This time it was about wanting credit for parts of the national budget presented by Minister of Finance Winston Jordan on Monday, 10th August.
What credit for the budget is Mr Jagdeo talking about? If he seeks credit then he has to start from the beginning. He needs to give credit to the PNC for free education from nursery to university that the children of his era had. As president he denied many Guyanese the same opportunity through his fee-paying policy at university. He needs to give credit to the PNCR for the Guyana 21 Plan that he used to run the post-2001 government.
Mr Jagdeo needs to give credit to the PNC government for employing him at the State Planning Secretariat even though he was a member of the PPP. When he became president and had the opportunity to show a similar level of decency, he marginalised PNC supporters and those of a particular ethnic group. Guyanese have not forgotten Dr Roger Luncheon’s testimony in the libel case brought by Mr Jagdeo against Messrs Frederick Kissoon, Adam Harris and Glen Lall of Kaieteur News.
He must also take credit for the failure of the sugar industry, compromising the public sector, dividing the races further and allowing the drug economy to run free. There is a lot of credit-giving and credit-taking to happen before getting to 10th August.
When Mr Jagdeo starts giving and accepting credit where credit is due then the credit he wants to claim from the budget may be worth looking at. But then again, why is he seeking credit for something he has discredited? It is he who said the budget is “seriously underwhelming” but still wants credit for something he thinks won’t make a positive impact.
If this isn’t inconsistency and hypocrisy, what else is? But I guess in this regard Mr Jagdeo is deserving of his credit and such is duly given.
Mr Jagdeo plans to be in the 11th Parliament and it is said will be Leader of the Opposition. He has to be careful about inconsistency.
Yours faithfully,
Vanessa Kissoon
