…President commented on party’s about-face embrace of ex-soldiers
…says Jagdeo’s initial criticisms were misguided, unwarranted

PRESIDENT David Granger has said he was pleased that the Opposition has ‘seen the light’ with their recent embrace of a former military officer as their No.2, noting that the party’s earlier demonising of ex-soldiers were misguided and hollow.

Back in 2015, PPP Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo told his supporters in Berbice that if the Coalition is elected to office, soldiers will kick down their doors at night and rob them. At the time of his comments, Brigadier (rtd) Mark Phillips was heading the Guyana Defence Force. Last Friday, Jagdeo anointed Phillips as Irfaan Ali’s running mate.

Asked to comment on the PPP picking Phillips, President David Granger, himself a retired Brigadier, said: “Essentially, former military officers are like any other citizens, and they are entitled to compete for political office. They’re normal people, and I feel that the initial criticisms of former military officers joining the political arena was unjustified; completely unwarranted. And in a way, it’s a good thing that Mr. Jagdeo and the PPP have seen the error of their ways, and they should start now seeing all citizens as normal and equal, and not try to stigmatise one particular occupational group.

President Granger told the Guyana Chronicle that he assumes that the PPP accepted Brigadier Phillips on the basis of his performance. “I will not make any criticism on that. But any Guyanese citizen must be considered eligible for higher office. I hope this election brings an end to the unjustified vilification of former members of the Defence Force. They’ve served, and they are worthy to be treated with respect like any other occupational group,” President Granger asserted.

**Jagdeo, at a PPP rally at Albion in April 2015, warned supporters of the party to be wary of the entrance of former army and police officials into the political arena. He said at the time that the police and defence forces would be compromised. “When they link up with the military, as they have done, and come into your homes and start kicking the doors down and when they come after you, who is going to be there?” a fired-up Jagdeo said at the time.

He went onto the tell PPP supporters at the time that since the executive of the APNU+AFC includes former heads of the disciplined services, that the army and the police force would be compromised, a claim which was strongly condemned by former heads of the police force and the army.

At an April 2015 press conference at Freedom House, Jagdeo stated that the move by former army chiefs to enter the political fold broke trust between the Executive and the army management. He made the statement after Former Chief-of-Staff Commodore Gary Best, who was appointed by Jagdeo to head the military from 2007-2013, endorsed the APNU+AFC in the lead-up to the May 2015 elections.

Following Best’ endorsement of the coalition, Jagdeo took several swipes at Best, suggesting that crimes such as the 2008 massacres at Lusignan and Bartica could have probably been avoided.

Former President Donald Ramotar also expressed concern at the time about what the PPP’s perceived militarization of the political arena. According to a Demerara Waves report, Ramotar noted in April 2015 that Guyana might have been on the verge of following in the footsteps of countries like Egypt where military officers have taken up civilian office and killing persons on the streets of Cairo almost every day. “That is one thing we have to look at if this is a trend that they want to continue in our world,” the former President said.
Even former Prime Minister, Samuel Hinds weighed in on the issue.” “I am greatly concerned that there is great danger if they are to win the next elections,” he was quoted as saying in the April 2015 Demerara Waves report.

Worse level of meddling
Meanwhile, under the PPP Administration the GDF experienced the worse level of meddling which resulted in the discriminatory firing of staff and elevation of “favorites.” Records show that in August, 2007, Jagdeo, while as President, bypassed four senior GDF officers and promoted their juniors. Phillips was one of the officers who benefitted from this move. Jagdeo in a move that angered some in the army, promoted Commander Gary Best to Commodore, and Pompey, Bruce Lovell and Mark Phillips to substantive colonels.

Pompey had replaced Colonel Lawrence Paul as the Deputy Chief-of-Staff; Lovell moved to Colonel, General Staff and Phillips who later became Chief-of-Staff headed force’s administration at the time of the incident. Critics of Jagdeo’s decision to promote the officers had said that the Head of State had showed desperation in the supersession of the officers. Brigadier Edward Collins who was on his way out at the time had expressed his displeasure at the manner in which his successor was picked, declaring that due process was not followed and rejected the traditional farewell parade in his honour.

His decision to break with the GDF tradition was seen as a snub of the force’s new administration. Collins himself was denied a promotion from Brigadier General to Major General before retiring.

NO INTERFERENCE

President Granger has vowed that political interference in the operations of the security forces will not happen under his watch. “I have never paid attention to that allegation, because the accusers are the greatest abusers of the military command structure, and it wouldn’t happen again. We have laid down clear rules for promotion, for advancement, for removal, and I stick by the rules,” the Head of State told this newspaper.