Dear Editor,
Derrick Cummings in his letter in SN of June 29th titled, `Creating conditions for peaceful acceptance of election outcome’, is speculating that perhaps elders “behind the scenes [are engaging] in active shuttle diplomacy” to bring an end to Guyana’s four-month-old election impasse.
I will say that personal diplomacy does work to resolve national impasses involving heads of state who are caught up in the law or refuse to demit office after losing an election. President Richard Nixon provides a useful example for David Granger to follow.
Nixon had been dragging his feet in his final days of 1974. Should he contest the impeachment trial? Meanwhile the nation was in a state of exhaustion. Stock market falling. Uncertainty in the world. A never ending nightmare. A group of elders summoned up the courage to go to the White House and told Nixon: ‘Time to give it up. No point of contesting the trial – there is no support for you in the Senate’. Believe it or not, within hours Nixon threw in the towel.
Today Guyana is at the exact same spot Nixon had been in those final days in 1974. There is absolutely no support for Granger in the world community of nations. ABC and EU governments have been issuing warnings every few days. All trade and diplomatic relations with Guyana will be put on hold. Not one dollar of oil revenues will be released to Guyana. No government official will be allowed to board a plane to go anywhere, except perhaps to Russia or Cuba. Businesses will stop paying taxes to GRA. No exports. No imports of food or gasoline.
Who might be the elders to deliver that Time-to-go message to Mr. Granger? Granger has so far rebuffed the folks from the Commonwealth, OAS, Caricom. Would he listen to Mr. Sonny Ramphal? Who else is there in Guyana – any clergy? Granger is a churchman – maybe his pastor should deliver that final message.
When the new president Ford was sworn in, one memorable sentence from his speech stood out, “Thank God, America’s long national nightmare has come to an end”. It is time for Mr. Granger to show some good judgement and cooperate with the leaders of the free world and the Guyanese people and bring an end to Guyana’s long national nightmare.
Yours faithfully,
Mike Persaud
