Dear Editor,
As a youth I heard frequently from many adults that “politics is a dirty game.” But as I matured I realised that not all aspects of political activity and certainly not all politicians could be described as “dirty.”
Because “dirty” often means soiled or smutty or indecent.
There are always leaders or supporters of political parties however who decide when they need to display aspects of “dirty” to compete with or attack, taint or defeat opponents. This sometimes takes the form of unfair techniques such as misinformation, blackmail, outright fake news and, of course, character assassination.
Twenty-five (25) days after the March 02 elections I addressed this issue in a Friday column titled “Survivalist ridicule against Independent minds.” From my perspective I discussed how Party experts of abuse would use various media to ridicule and to make contemptuous mockery of opponents and even a–political, objective critics they don’t like.
Editor, against the above context I wish to express my own disgust at recent and current sustained abuse to political opponents as well as of independent or experienced observers and critics interested enough to share opinions and advice regarding our prolonged manufactured electoral “crisis.”
People’s Progressive Party (PPP) hopefuls are already spewing some aggressive racist-oriented remarks against opponents they feel will benefit from obvious elections thievery. Others are already displaying triumphalism all unnecessarily inciteful at this time.
But the PPP tribes-people are not near to the PNC (aka “APNU”) loyalists/survivalists when it comes to verbal venom – including the most “dirty” character assassination outbursts. One doesn’t dare to criticise them or their leaders’ excesses or indiscretions. No opposing view entertained! Evidence or no evidence!
Early on, some young lady “conservationist” described retired Major-General Joe Singh as “a simpleton!” Wow! In rapid succession observers/business-people were prime targets: Gerry Gouveia/ Christopher Nascimento, Roy Beepat, Editors of the three private print media, the business organisations, etc, etc.
Never satisfied with fair game – the local political opponents – the PNC attackers, fearful of the loss of authority, control, power, turned their toxic big guns against “the foreigners.” British High Commis-sioner Greg Quinn (once a favourite of theirs); Canadian Rep. Lillian Chatterjee (they wanted her recalled instantly); American Ambassador Lynch has been spared any nuclear attack so far (fear?) but not CARICOM leaders.
The crisis manufactured by Mr Mingo and his handlers inspired a total of eight (8) former and current CARICOM Prime Ministers to step on these shores of a member state. His Excellency seemingly paid them short shrift until he favoured a three-person team to “observe” the recount, to the exclusion of the American Carter Center who began their own “observing” since 1992. Why did His Excellency lean on CARICOM now? Ho-ho!
Special venom was saved for Owen Arther, Bruce Golding and Ralph Gonsalves for obvious reasons. The new PNC media mob spoke of “no moral authority”, for the Caribbean gentlemen to criticise. So do they have any?
Yours faithfully,
Allan Arthur Fenty
