I HAVE never ceased to wonder at the tenacity of the leaders of the Alliance For Change (AFC) to fabricate and peddle lies to the public with the hope of getting through to a few of them. They are of the opinion that if you peddle a lie long enough then not only will people believe those lies, but you yourself will make those lies indelible in your psyche.Leader of the AFC Khemraj Ramjattan once again was able to get away from the real issues at hand. I made it clear that I moved that motion in support of the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLCFT) Amendment Bill simply because I put my country first.

This Bill is too vital to play politics with. If members of the Opposition take some time to reflect on our National Pledge, they will understand where I was coming from.
But many persons cannot afford to think and act independently. I have done that. Is that a crime if I can show my blind leaders the way forward? But alas those who are blinded by the greed for power cannot see the light!
The very first impression that came to my mind upon reading an article headlined, “Haseef Yusuf is a rogue AFC Councillor – Ramjattan”, was ‘look who’s talking!’ Does this man have the moral standing to condemn anyone who has taken such a position?
Is this man suffering from amnesia? How can he not recall that when he was kicked out of the People’s Progressive Party/Civic (PPP/C), he clung to the Member of Parliament (MP) position for dear life! He cannot afford to lose the status, the money and the duty free perks!
I now want to address once again the lies in the article. I was never officially expelled from the AFC, nor do I care. But he keeps saying publicly that I have failed to pay my subscriptions in years.
I had stated emphatically before that I paid my subscriptions up to 2012, or else I could not have attended the AFC Conference which was held in that same year. Then General Secretary Sixtus Edwards can vouch for this.
Furthermore, I have valid reasons for not paying subscriptions for 2013. At the AFC Conference in 2012, I presented a motion with regard to accountability within the party (this was after the issue with Dr Veersammy Ramayya (a member of the AFC).
Inter alia, I said that party groups should have bank accounts and all monies collected by way of fundraising and donations should be properly accounted for and deposited into a bank account.
ACCOUNTABILITY
This motion was unanimously passed. Everyone agreed, including Ramjattan. Until now no such accounts have been opened in Berbice! How can I even pay a dollar to this party when there is a total lack of accountability?
Many top AFC members have since resigned because of this mismanagement and fraudulent misappropriation of party funds. These people want the Public Procurement Commission (PPC) in order to stop corruption, but are unwilling to establish accountability within their own political organisation.
The PPP/C Government is not against the establishment of such a commission, but the Opposition wants to behave as though they are in Government.
They must have all the powers. I have written exhaustively on the theft and misappropriation of funds, but how can the leaders put systems in place when they themselves are guilty?
The AFC Constitution has provisions for the appointment of an auditor and audited statements. These have never been complied with. At the 2012 Conference, inaccurate and unaudited statements were foisted on the members, many of them having no clue as to what was going on.
Yet these AFC leaders are adamant about the PPC when they themselves within the AFC can procure without proper accountability. This is hypocrisy and shamelessness.
As for being a friend of the Attorney General Anil Nandlall, let me say this. This gentleman is one of the finest legal minds this country has ever produced. He is a statesman par excellence.
However, until this moment, I have never spoken to this gentleman or met him personally, but I will definitely be honoured to be his friend! Moreover, I have never sought any personal favour from any member of the PPP/C Government or the party, nor have I personally received any benefits from them.
I am a patriot who wants the economic prosperity of this nation to continue. I do not want the ‘dark age’ to return and I will never be a ‘chamar’ or a ‘namak haram [an ungrateful person]’. People like Ramjattan will never be able to comprehend what it means to be a patriot!
Lastly, Ramjattan should start vigorously disposing of the garbage in the AFC, but I guess that means disposing of himself with that garbage as well! Ramjattan, next time get your facts straight before opening your mouth!
HASEEF YUSUF
AFC Councillor