-Comrade Irfaan Vs His Excellency: Any contest?
I’ve advised voters, especially those bright-eyed first-timers between eighteen and twenty-five, that even when they fashion their loyalty and vote for their favourite political tribe, their choice is essentially, “the best of the bad lot”.
No good moralistic, gentleman-politician exists these days. There were actually a few around when I first voted around ’64-’66. Some Independents were not thirsting merely for authority or power. They sought to represent causes. All history now.
So after “abstaining” for many ears, I voted Granger/Nagamootoo in May 2015. As I’ve written before: not because I liked them. They were just “the better of the bad lot!” I knew Nagamootoo from the PPP’s Mirror to him being Minister post-‘92. Enough said. And I do not ever think that His Excellency the Brigadier is always “a decent man”. All politicians – as with all of us – are victims of man’s human frailties. Enough said. I just did not want Dr Jagdeo and his President Donald Rabindranauth in authority over the oil and gas emergence. Now, I’m experiencing second, third, fourth thoughts! Why? Because the decent Brigadier is doing just what the others did.
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Bullyism now, autocracy later?
I should be ashamed to remark here, that I’ve already “accepted” that His Excellency’s Coalition is being successful in delaying the March elections. Fait accompli!
Neutral legal minds have advised that all the appeals should not hinder GECOM’s preparations for March. But His Excellency’s Chairman’s vote has taken care of that. (And I have this gut feeling that Frankly Speaking even the very PPP won’t mind waiting, in fact – grand strategic planning and diaspora funding etc.)
So elections date apart, it is the Coalition’s rampant, reckless, unprincipled “interim governance” bullyism that is unacceptable to me. Even though all incumbents do it, the blatant use of tax-payers money to campaign as ministerial “outreaches”; the allocation of houselots in three months after three years; seeking to persuade a savvy diplomatic corps; even broad hints to GECOM; this is governmental campaigning as I’ve never experienced it before.
(Perhaps I should admire the forthright candour of the Citizenship/GRO Minister, former Police Commissioner under the late Gajraj, Honourable Felix. He told his Rupununi audiences plainly: “I’ve come for your votes.”)
But even the most tribalist faithful PNC voters should be cautioned: yes you can’t stand Jagdeo, Irfaan, Cup and PPP. But you should rein in your leaders’ plunge into excesses – misuse of the Treasury, hostility to dissent (even from within), constitutional eye-pass – now! If electoral victory comes – by whatever means – these behaviours can return – after entrenchment – to haunt you all. Be warned! Absolute power does what?
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Our constitution, CARICOM “Community”
Look, I’ve recorded my dislike for His Excellency’s Constitutional eye-pass: How GECOM Chairman was selected, Prime Minister in parliament as (acting) President and other violations. Now come all the No-Confidence Vote transgressions/violations.
Christopher Ram and my Editor-in-Chief’s personal views are provocatively relevant. Will any CARICOM Head ever sanction the Coalition? Cheddi Jagan and Ravi Dev were/are right? It’s an Old Boys Afro Club? After Mustique and Herdmanston what else? No dabbling in a Member-State’s “internal affairs” Secretary-General?
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Irfaan, His Excellency: a contest?
Well it won’t be an electoral contest just between those two. And as I became politically conscious in time for the 1964 and 1968 elections, some already die-hard PNC “seniors” used to say that “even if yuh put a scare-crow stickman wid a cup in e haan as candidate, dem East Indians gon vote for it.” That was their colourful language and belief that a majority of Indo-Guyanese would forever vote for Cheddi’s PPP of those times. Has anything changed? Tribally?
So if Cde Irfaan is to oppose His Excellency (if His Excellency remains fit) whenever His Excellency is ready for elections, will it be “cheese to chalk”? When PNC loyalist – (forget “APNU”) – juxtapose, compare and contrast the “Officer-and-Gentleman”, academic, historian, publisher and suave shrewd His Excellency against young got-rich-quick economist (?) Comrade Irfaan, is there a contest? A no-contest? Can Comrade Irfaan ever be “presidential”? Ho ho.
Had I been a concerned PPP comrade I would have beseeched Comrade General Secretary Dr Jagdeo to risk Dr Frank Anthony with the retired GDF Officer as running mate. That ticket would have been tops! Agreed? Discuss…
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So much to ponder…
1) When I say that His Excellency and his Coalition have “compromised” me, I mean that because I chose them as the better of the bad lot in 2015 I now feel disillusioned by their behaving like their predecessors.
So should I vote next time? Or tell my friends to let us all – the disappointed – abstain? What? That will benefit Dr Jagdeo?
2) The judiciary is in charge! Decisions can take years. Like the PPP Elections Petition. Or the Jagdeo-Kissoon libel case. (They need years to research and review law?
3) Careful Coalition surrogates! Stabroek News once stood up for His Excellency!
4) Whoever “wins” eventually – please accelerate that East Coast-East Bank Demerara By-Pass highway. See what happened Sunday?
5) Coming next Friday: Rigging under the PPP (Part 5)
6) Remember y’all! Now is the time to ask the minister! For house lots, a job, a small boat, (IDB) loans, medical assistance, computer, food voucher. Ho-ho-ho. (It’s your money, really.)
’Til next week!
