Dear Editor,
NO surprises of any kind, at the attacks on the person of Dr. Cheddi ‘Joey’ Jagan by the PPP/C social media trolls, consequent to his public endorsement of President David Granger as his choice to lead Guyana, and support for the coalition, A Partnership for National Unity + Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC). His appearance on two recent campaign rally platforms would have further cemented his public declaration.

Reading some of the social media postings, their rantings, in terms of what they intend to convey, of the younger Jagan’s decision/action, only reminds one of all the reasons why the PPP/C is led by Bharat Jagdeo; how he has single handedly been allowed to desecrate the revered memory of party founder, Dr. Cheddi Jagan Snr., by un-Jagan–like actions among the other political obscenities he has perpetrated on Jagan’s party.

Editor, for such shocking ignorance which portrays a mindset, steep in ethnic tribalism, which can only lead to total obliteration of the will to think outside of the box, their political party will continue to be doomed to self-miasmic inundation.

To accuse the son of the party’s founder, of not being the ‘real Jagan’, begs the question as to whether these political retards, first, know who the grand man was, and what he stood for. Concomitantly also, it automatically asks another question – did they ever believe in his principles? Or was it a case of only the ethnic/race cleavage?

Given that such an accusation has been levelled against the younger Jagan, then one will have the right to assume that these dark minds of social media did not certainly understand what the senior man represented. However, if they truly did, then why did they allow his party, subsequent to his death, to change course, hijacked and bullied by a new leader who obviously had an agenda that departed from the known principles for which Jagan had been known and respected. More revealing was the fact that virtually all the senior leaders of the party, with very few exceptions, willingly embraced the party’s new leader, his style of governance, which inflicted all forms of political, social and economic criminalities on the nation. And this includes the wanton pillage that underlined the self-enrichment ideology that introduced the new morality of governance, as to its meaning. In fact, this became the benchmark for personal material advancement among friends and cronies of the PPP/C. The late president Jagan eschewed such a lifestyle, for his frugality and honesty were well known.

Certainly, Editor, one does not recall any public utterance of concern, or reprimand about a runaway society with an internationally known brand for corruption that had been annually highlighted by the reports of international agencies, such as the World Bank and Transparency International, that had been led by the PPP/C regime. Surely, these reports were widespread in the local media, so there can be no claim to ignorance, on the part of those who seek to denigrate the person of the younger Jagan.

It was this kind of sordid governance, inclusive of racism and trenchant discrimination; authoritarian politics and anti-democratic practices, such as death squads which the younger Jagan would have rejected; severing links with the party his father had founded. His father would have definitely condemned the endemic corruption, for which his party, and the Jagdeo and Ramotar’s regimes became notorious. One must recall the late Dr. Jagan’s daughter who plainly said that her late father would have frowned upon the ostentatious lifestyle of some party members.

Indisputably, Dr. Joey Jagan is on the right side of political morality and history, by removing himself from a party, although founded by his father, that descended into a political cesspool with its corrupted smell. Moreover, he is exercising his right of political affiliation. Those who now seek to condemn him for narrow and vile ends, are the ones who are guilty of betraying the senior Dr. Jagan, for they FAILED MISERABLY IN THEIR REFUSAL TO OBJECT TO THE DIRECTION IN WHICH HIS PARTY WAS BEING DRIVEN, MORESO, ITS GOVERNMENT AND THE PAIN INFLICTED ON GUYANA. They are the ones who HAVE NOT BEEN the real followers of Jagans. It is a matter of observation that the PPP/C so far in its election campaign, has not invoked the name of its founder. How can they, when they have betrayed him? Hats off to Joey Jagan!

Regards,
Carla Mendonca