Dear Editor
SOMETIME ago, I had expressed the opinion that former presidents on retirement must give of their political experience in terms of insights into problems of their country, even which they would have faced while in office and offer both answers and solutions as to causes that would benefit their successors, while educating the nation in general. This much they owe their country, as they would have been part of the political equational dynamics that would have given rise to so many of the challenges. The reality here, is that problems do not happen – they are caused, inclusive of the ones that are political.
And even though such a pathway may be difficult to undertake in our own country because of its historical peculiarities, former executives are still expected to rise above partisanship for the better whole of country; for to do otherwise, is a betrayal of the understanding of ever becoming a leader for all.

Editor, these were my thoughts, in shorter version some time ago when I responded to a cache of lies that were offloaded in the usual media repository of the Kaieteur News by Donald Ramotar. Of course, they are lies, horrible and outrageous in conceptualization, that have now become a favourite past time of a former president. But the more recent ones, as conveyed in a September 3 missive in the stated media print, “The tragedy continues to unfold” must be in the top five that will be considered for King Liar Letter of the year.
Honestly, I am fed up reading such incredible and obnoxious lies each day that come from the person of a former president; for it would mean that he would have to be branded a liar, which ought not to be, since he/she, because of status/national standing, should be accorded every respect, irrespective of party affiliation or ethnicity. But since such lies are dangerous to the well-being of the nation, then they should be debunked and the purveyor be accorded similar description and reprimand.

As is now the accustomed fashion of all of the PPP/C’s famed liars, there is the accusation of “…dismantling of democratic gains since ’92, has resorted to the same type of governance as was done between 1964 – 1992….”and governing elite has accumulated huge fortunes …. they seem to get a strange delight in wielding power to protect their ill-gotten gains and to increase it even more, this clique is destroying and emasculating all of our more important state institutions.”

Editor, both of these claims are again made as part of a strategy to accord it a life of truth which they each do not have. Both have been concocted in the politically demented minds of a communist, whose sojourn in Eastern Europe is now being put to use.

First of all, how can Ramotar ever lay claim to “democratic gains” of his party, an ideology which its successive regimes never recognised and practised as a government, much less accorded the nation? In fact, the 23 years of PPP/C rule were mostly authoritarian in many ways, as it did not brook dissent, with critics being spited and victimized — and even murdered; the judiciary was never really independent, since judges were mostly acting in their capacity. Moreover, they were afraid to make decisions that went against the government. A mafia state was how the PPP/C regime had been described by the U.S. State Department, with the narcotics trade and extra-judicial killings being the seminal features of a country which institutions, inclusive of its police force, became seriously compromised because of political interference which demoralised its functions. These are just samples of the kind of ‘democracy’ which existed in Guyana under the horrors of PPP/C governance.

To these, the stifling of the media must be added, with the case of CNS 6, being a prime example of the heavy hand of state punitive measures, because it dared to criticise the Jagdeo regime. Even the Stabroek News, the very newspaper which is now the leading media chorus boy for Ramotar’s party, suffered heavily at the hands of the then PPP/C government. Editor, when the media in any country could be intimidated and cowed in such manner as in Guyana, as what had occurred during the Jagdeo and Ramotar tenures, then it meant that democracy had assumed another interpretation and meaning, as it did during those perilous times in Guyana.

Editor, compare the offensive, nightmarish bureaucracy of the anti-democracy of the Jagdeo and Ramotar regimes as existed then, as against the refreshingly new air of a democracy that has been blowing through the length and breadth of this nation since 2015, and one will be able to appreciate and understand why this current government has achieved so much in so short a period of office and citizens being able to openly engage with their government, in terms of what they expect of their leaders and for their country without fear.

And by the way, Donald, this government is not a “clique,” since it is not one that represents the interests of friends and cronies, but instead, continues to govern in the best interest of all Guyanese, irrespective of race and party. Neither did it “seize power” as you so wickedly stated. Live in a real world, man – your party lost the 2015 elections because GECOM had been able to remove the rigger Gocool Boodoo, before he could have resorted to further electoral crookery as he was caught doing in 2011. For this, your party hounded the fair-minded Dr Steve Surujbally from the GECOM chairmanship. Certainly, this was testimony to the kind of ‘democracy’ that you practised from 1992 – to the end of your regimes, disrespecting constitutional offices that did what was right!

Secondly, this claim of a’’ … governing elite” and accumulation of “huge fortunes”; “strange delight in wielding power to protect their ill-gotten gains and to increase it even more, this clique is destroying and emasculating all of our more important state institutions”.
This is one of the two main planks of reverse psychology, continuously deployed by the PPP/C in its bid to besmirch the coalition government; and it is another dark ploy of communism, well learned by its eager student, Donald Ramotar. But it is unfortunate, since it informs a mindset of a former leader whose daily experiences of kleptocratic practices in Guyana of his government’s tenure, has imbued in him the mistaken mental belief that all governments will follow suit. An instant correction: The feudal lords and peasants which Ramotar speaks about, were created during the years of wholesale pillage which benefitted the PPP/C cohorts. And this national theft included large acreages of land.

Ramotar, should be more forthright and state who are the persons comprising this “elite”, and further explain how they wield this power, and how it protects ‘’their ill-gotten gains.’’ One suspects that Ramotar is also subconsciously referring to what had been practised blatantly during his party’s many years in office. Only recently, a well-known political activist, illustrated the creation of a clique of persons with untold wealth during the Jagdeo terms, and whose lawless social behaviour betrayed a brazen disregard for citizens and, in the process, the law. This would have certainly resulted in the “emasculating of “important state institutions” as had existed at that time. In fact, Ramotar would realise that after decades of foul disregard, institutions are better respected by this present administration. None of what Ramotar seeks to contend, as taking place, is occurring, since this is a government of law and order, dedicated to battling corruption and its eviler centrepiece, money laundering, as recognised by the IMF and other international agencies. Moreover, institutions are allowed to function in keeping with their statutory/constitutional functions, without fear from government’s intrusion.

Thirdly, it becomes funnier as one continues to read the entrenched political self-delusions of Ramotar’s non-existent mind, with the question being natural – has he lost his marbles? Absolutely not! For this is communist self- delusionary behaviour at its best, similar to the ‘confessions’ that many of the prominent communists made at their show trials during the bloody purges of the Stalinist years.

Thus, to further suggest that there is ‘cahoots’ between persons in the Public Service and from constitutional institutions and the government that makes them “part of the elite”, that prevents them from standing up for the “rights of the people”; and that the clique is ‘’using a combination of threats and bribes” continues to befuddle the imagination.

However, such poison from the dark and dangerous mind of Ramotar, is really his setting stage for further accusations of rigging; and criticising the GECOM’s plan of merging the data from the just concluded house-to-house registration.

It is easy to discern yet again, another attack on the current plan of action by GECOM, as it continues preparations for national and regional elections. Ramotar’s vulgar accusations, therefore seeks to infer a combination of highly placed persons who are part of the figment of his imagination’s grand plan of conspiracy with the government to influence the statutory processes of the electoral body, to rig, and therefore steal the upcoming electoral process. For him to even mention the government’s involvement in ‘’trafficking’’, as part of its electoral strategy despite evidence to the contrary, again underlines the depth of his filthy political bowels, which he continues to evac on the nation.

Reading Ramotar’s wacky statements amounted to a journey of high fantasy, through his and the PPP/C’s never-never land. It is the kind of tour that brings one to the full survey of all the kinds of political dementia that formulates the daily thinking of the Donald Ramotars of the PPP/C who believe that it is still their right to bully, dictate, and cow institutions and their administrators into doing the party’s illegitimate biddings; and because of non-compliance with such perversities, has resorted to doing what it does best – a grand design of misinformation, inclusive of filthy lies, and other unspeakable perversities.

To further ask citizens to” stand up against the regime”, thus preventing ‘’another tragedy’’, gives further insight into Ramotar’s dying, desperate attempt at inciting a nation that is paying no heed to his baseless accusations, and his equally dark deceptions that are thrown in as justifications. The real tragedy is what his and Jagdeo’s regimes have inflicted on this country and its people, during its criminal years in offices. It is this tragedy which has destroyed so much of our nation, and which for national repairs are evident, with the advent of a new government since 2015. It is a tragedy which the people of this nation must never allow to recur.

Regards
Earl Hamilton