Dear Editor,
The Co-operative of Guyana celebrates its 55th anniversary of independence on Wednesday, May 26. It will also be five and a half decade since my voice was first heard on national radio because I made my maiden report on the flag raising activities. A lot has transpired during this period. We saw nine Presidents being sworn in: Forbes Burnham, Desmond Hoyte, Cheddi Jagan, Sam Hinds, Janet Jagan, Bharrat Jagdeo, Donald Ramotar, David Granger and currently, Irfaan Ali, the youngest. The PNC was in government a little longer than the PPP … 1966 to 1992 (two years 1964-66 pre independence period) and then the coalition APNU/AFC under PNC’s Granger for four years before a No Confi-dence Motion was passed which booted Granger out of office. The PPP also had a long stretch of 23 years under Jagdeo and Ramotar. Now the PPP is back under a young President at a time when all Guyanese at home and abroad are hoping for a complete turnaround of the economy, more jobs and a comfortable living for the poor and unfortunate ones. But this can only be possible if the powers to be are vigilant and prevent exploitation by the filthy rich oil barons.
We have to forget the past —- too many horrors – Jim Jones and the People’s Temple tragedy where 918 Americans followers of the so called Evangelist Jim Jones committed suicide in November 1978 and the terror which another American, David Hill, who renamed himself Rabbi Wash-ington, and set up the House of Israel and its members harassed anti Burnham supporters. It was only after the death of Forbes that the Rabbi lost his stripes under Hoyte. President Cheddi Jagan eventually released Washington from prison; he died in New Jersey. I must also mention that the Burnham administration removed all vestiges of colonialism and moved into left wing socialism … went so far as to make the government an arm of the PNC and the party’s flag flown over the Court of Appeal Building in Kingston, Georgetown. Removing British honours like “Sir” “Dame”, OBE, MBE, and Queen’s Counsel and replacing them with local honours, Order of Excellence (OE), Order of Roraima (OR), Cacique Crown of Honour (CCH) etc., and Senior Counsel replacing Queen’s Counsel. I cannot omit the assassination of Walter Rodney in March 1980 because he was a threat to the Burnham dictatorial regime.
Space does not permit me to say much more but I have to mention the difficulties the authorities endured to remove the coalition from office following the no confidence motion. It took five long months after the ruling of the highest court of the land, the Caribbean Court of Justice, before the new President was sworn in…. because senior officials of the Guyana Election Commission submitted false reports of the true vote count. Now David Granger does not want the CCJ to determine election issues, he is advocating that the Guyana Court of Appeal should be the final court in this regard. He however welcomed the CCJ’s ruling that Jagdeo cannot have a third term as President. This is ridiculous. Remember the Guyana Court of Appeal ruled that 33 is not the majority of 65, but the CCJ ruled otherwise. I should remind the readers that the Guyana Court of Appeal was the final Court in Guyana was for 35 long years – when it gained republican status in 1970 to April 2005 before the CCJ was inaugurated. (Burnham abolished appeals to the Privy Council in February 1970)… the only country in the Commonwealth to have only one appeal.
Reports state that 1 million barrels of oil will be pumped from the Stabroek block every month – but it is extremely crucial that it is properly monitored and Guyana gets its rightful share. Too many African countries have been fleeced by the filthy rich oil companies. Guyana encountered numerous setbacks in the past. Now that oil is in the horizon Guyanese have to work in harmony to rebuild the country. We have rice, sugar, gold, bauxite, agriculture products and now oil —- a sound educational system — the ten top students in the region are Guyanese….this is extremely good — the youngsters are following the footsteps of those of yester year — since hundreds of brilliant Guyanese are scattered all over the planet holding top posts in technology, business, medicine, education, law and other fields. All in all the future looks extremely good – what is needed and it is of paramount importance is unity. Unity is strength.
Sincerely,
Oscar Ramjeet
