Dear Editor,

IRFAAN wants us to vote for him. He wants to be the next President of Guyana. He points to his experience in government and his educational qualifications, the latest of which is a Ph.D. secured from the University of the West Indies. Additionally, he is under the tutelage and management of ex-President, Bharrat Jagdeo, to mitigate the risks of Irfaan’s inexperience. To top it off, they hired the retired ex-Army chief for the PM job as the token Black candidate for the PPP.

Let’s unpack what is being sold to us and separate fact from fiction. The fact is, Irfaan is a smart and experienced politician by Guyana’s standards. He has been in politics since he was a teenager in the PPP’s youth wing and served as a minister for a number of years. The fiction is he did not earn those fancy degrees he is claiming.

He was not good enough to make it through the University of Guyana’s undergraduate programme which is far more credible that any dubious schools he presented. There is a claim of a degree from a UK university, but the name on the degree is for a different person and there is no presentation of transcripts for completed courses leading up to this degree. He presented certificates from some rural Indian training institutes that are many notches below UG in terms of academic standards.

Then the Ph.D. obtained from UWI on the strength of the thesis submitted, who depended on his professor to vouch for its authenticity. If not, we can all buy Ph.D. theses online from India and China and get doctorates from UWI. In light of the circumstance, Ali’s supervising professor should come forward and at least make a statement to defend the integrity of the institution and vouch for his hard work to earn the doctorate.

It’s safe to say that not many people believe him except the blind PPP loyalists and the naive who believe that the ethics of UWI and UG academic staff are beyond reproach. PPP supporters are being asked to look the other way because of tribal loyalty to the party, whereby you are either with us or against us. he is our boy and we have to support the party. This is a tribal political arena where you are either with us or against us. If you are part of the tribe, you will lie and conspire in our quest for power. If you are a loyal member of the PPP tribe, you change the subject and talk about APNU or some past alleged racism by the PNC against Indians.

Then there is the other issue that Jagdeo runs the PPP and he has alienated many other capable young leaders who were arguably more qualified to lead the party. These leaders are being guilted by tribal loyalty to tow the party line but are burning with anger that Ali was selected ahead of them. The house is divided and they know that Ali was picked because he fits Jagdeo’s mould perfectly and is likely easier to control.

Imagine if Ali had simply continued to finish his first degree at the University of Guyana and then pointed to his experience and accomplishments, instead of weaving this intricate web of lies and deceit. Now we have to deal with an intricate web of lies and deceit concocted over many decades and all driven by Irfaan’s struggle for acceptance over his entire career.

It’s about trust, integrity, and authenticity and Ali fails on all three and the man has no shame. And that is what is bothering many PPP voters who still value their integrity and why many are considering either sitting out this election, or casting their vote elsewhere out of protest on election day. The PPP is not the party it used to be and the tribe is deeply divided.

Best regards,
Govind Hinds, PhD