Dear Editor,
I refer to a letter captioned “I see the matter of Hughes as APNU/Opposition leader….” written on June 20, 2024 by one Nicholas McDavid from Jamaica, who like me, is a member of the Guyanese Diaspora. Let me from the outset express my respect for his letter but openly state I humbly beg to disagree with Mr. McDavid. Guyanese politicians need a special mix of skills and qualities because of the nation’s unique political condition. Here’s a breakdown of some key characteristics:
Voters expect honesty and trustworthiness from their leaders. Let us reflect on the incident regarding businessman, Brian Hamilton, who was shot and killed during a robbery at his gas station in Buxton, East Coast Demerara in 2003. Who removed the video tape with evidence on the murderer? Was it not the apex body of lawyers in Guyana, the Guyana Bar Association who called on the Guyanese public to “ignore Attorney-at-Law Nigel Hughes assertion that 34 of the 65 votes in the National Assembly are needed to pass a No-Confidence Vote”? This position of the Bar Association was confirmed by none other than the CCJ, the Apex Court of Guyana. Integrity matters in politics.
The ability to learn, listen to others, and adapt is crucial. I must confess that Mr. Hughes, while he has pre-conceived ideas, especially on race relations, does listen and that is to his credit. But from the impress I have received from his utterances, his expressions only reflects a representation of the Afro-Guyanese community. So how does the remaining 70% of the people feel when he makes these utterances? A genuine desire to represent the people and improve their lives. Being a member of the Afro-Guyanese Anglican elite and only focusing on the Afro-Guyanese issues is enough information to start to paint the picture. The Indo-Guyanese of Port Morant and Reliance in Canje cannot connect with Nigel Hughes because of his public statements on race relations. These are real issues and cannot be ignored when we reflect on Mr. Hughes.
The ability to convert vision into action. Mr. Hughes has very little experience in this area just like many Ministers in the PPP Government and the entire PNC and AFC leadership save and except for maybe Carl Greenidge. As far as I am concerned, too many politicians are learning this art of following through and delivering on the projects for the people. In fact, too many Guyanese politicians from all side are all about this concept “everything I do, I do it FOR ME and my family and my business friends”. The AFC leaders are no different. Analyzing complex human development issues and making sound decisions is a vital skillset. While no one can doubt, Mr. Hughes is a legal asset to Guyana, that is where it ends. He is like the Attorney General Mr. Nandlall, long on words and short on driving the outcome.
Developing long-term plans to achieve goals. I am yet to see any plan from Nigel or his 2024 AFC cohorts on a plan for this country. They are all talk and no plan. It is about celebrating our diversity, building consensus and finding common ground. This gentleman is very fixated on Afro-Guyanese rights, but what about other peoples’ rights? If he thinks that he can win elections with exclusively Afro-Guyanese votes, he is delusional. Under-standing the issues that matter to their constituents and doing something about it. Nigel will get an “F” Grade (Fail) on policy expertise, save and except of course for a solid understanding of the law. The ability to connect with all kinds of voters. This point was addressed before, he has not and will not connect with the Indo-Guyanese of Guyana because of his dogmatic stance in the defence of some Guyanese rather than all Guyanese. What is clearly lacking is empathy for the Indo-Guyanese population who are living below the poverty line in many communities.
This foolish conclusion that the wealth of this nation is unfairly distributed to Indo-Guyanese remains un-researched. How can some 1,000 very wealthy Indo-Guyanese who dominate the economy be used as a benchmark to measure the economic wellbeing of all Indo-Guyanese? Has he ever been to the squatting areas in Lusignan and Mon Repos and see who lives there and how they live? Indo-Guyanese live in these areas, and they live in the mud, and in worse conditions as compared to all of Sophia or Linden.
My comment to Mr. Nicholas McDavid, most respectfully, is that he needs to get the facts and stop this fairy tale from your lovely suburbs of Jamaica. The AFC is no good; they sold out the Guyanese people long ago and even if they bring back a Cheddi Jagan and put him on top of the AFC, they will get a sound licking at the polls. The Guyanese people are finished with them and that is why they have to use fake groups today to generate fake nomination to rig the process to undemocratically parachute certain persons into the leadership without following the principles of liberal democracy. Mr. Nicholas McDavid, while I respect your right to an opinion, I am of the clear view that your views on this matter is misplaced and Mr. Nigel Hughes has no place in politics since it is beyond him to serve all the people of Guyana, all the time like our very best – Dr. Irfaan Ali.
Sincerely,
Carl Persaud
