Dear Editor
BY now, everyone should be cognisant of the fact that it has become what can be interpreted as a historical ritual whereby, during elections season, most politicians would jump on the highest mountain-top and pledge to take you to the moon and back. While some promise milk and honey, others ARE out kissing babies, playing dominoes and drinking a cold beer with the folks in some economically depressed communities to curry favour within their voters’ lists.

Surely, nothing is wrong with politicians doing whatever it legally takes to win enough votes to either be elected President, or to gain a seat in the corridors of power. Hence, they can kiss all the babies, drink all the beer; shed obvious crocodile tears; present fake academic credentials; walk around with 19 serious criminal charges in their back pockets; participate in fake marriages; chat about issues they’ve never showed any prior interest in; or visit areas they’ve never visited in DONKEY years, and display their sudden hypocritical passion for the people.

Indeed, all of those attributes and more will be scrutinised and eventually decided on by the voters, who I am certain are smart enough to differentiate the three-card tricksters, palm readers, pimps, hypocrites, chic-chic board operators, spiritual imposters, and flat-footed hustlers from the very few genuine ones (and I honestly do mean the very few) among the extremely large field of candidates set to contest the upcoming General and Regional Elections in Guyana.

As for me, I have already identified a strong and proven thoroughbred in the race (yes, one with credibility, integrity, respect for democracy, and a strong advocate for human rights. This individual is not known to be corrupt and is in possession of authentic academic credentials), while noticing the several kangalangs and the rest who are basically wasting their own precious time walking around and dancing to the tune of ‘cent, five cents, ten cents, dollah…gimme dollah wine’ or cherry-picking their favourite verses in the Bible, while back-pedalling on some misinterpretion of their past opinions on the judgement of mankind on who should lay wid who, and who shouldn’t lay wid who.

No, I am definitely not saying that some of the these political neophytes aren’t sincere about wishing to see Guyana continue to develop into an economically prosperous nation in South America, and by extension the rest of the world; after all, apart from the numerous positive developments across the entire country, Guyana is now a place where people are free to express themselves without being killed, jailed or other forms of victimisation. At least, there’s absolutely no evidence of such, and anyone who claims otherwise, is basically out to pimp the electorate for a few votes that wouldn’t be enough to wake them out of that state of denial.

In conclusion, most Guyanese are aware of what Guyana was like prior to 2015, and what it is today. Yes, fortunately, we have moved away from being a narco-state, kleptocracy, battered educational system, with depressed public servants and members of the joint services, no hope for our young people, where pensioners were treated with utter disrespect, and all of the three branches of government were merged into one corrupt and undemocratic arm controlled by the Russian-trained ruthless dictator during those years.

So, it is my sincere hope (as I speak to you from my heart) that in the upcoming General and Regional Elections, Guyanese will vote on real issues and sound policies in order to ensure that the many positive developments continue in the building of a strong, respectable and prosperous Guyana. In fact, just as the ONLY thoroughbred in the race has quite aptly stated: ‘You Can’t Fake Experience.’

Therefore, it is right here where the sheep in wolves’ clothing, kangalangs, those with no known track record of anything, and the three-card tricksters are exposed. Go get them, thoroughbred, and let them know that indeed, they can’t ‘fake experience.’

Regards
Mark Benschop