A FEW days ago, a leading media entrepreneur publicly made an astounding revelation with regard to a threat he received from a leading Opposition politician. The businessman testicular fortitude must be applauded for fearlessly unveiling one aspect of the Opposition’s agenda: intimidation. He related the details of the phone call made by a leading alliance member, whom he named, and who, surprisingly, curbed his presidential ambitions, maybe forcibly, but that’s a different issue.Unfortunately, such threats are not confined to this businessman in question, but have become routine for the Opposition in its quest to use such tactics to coerce. The politician who made the threat is well known for his vengeful tirades and wanton disrespect for authority and people, having become saturated with bile. A deconstruction and analysis of his disposition would not only epitomise, but also reconfirm the overall thrust of the Opposition’s ruthless temperament. Their action during the 10th Parliament would so vindicate.
Despite change in name and meticulous efforts to mask its characteristics through an alliance, the Opposition has a tremendous difficulty to rid itself of its passion to intimidate. The label of extortionists is being touted by many. Again, there is need to deconstruct this aspect of its agenda, not only to confirm what is known, but to also highlight glaring similarities of the two inevitable components of this alliance. For clarity, the deconstruction has to predate the current. First and foremost, there should be no ambiguity as to the real composition of the alliance. It is, pellucid, the PNC.
With that being understood, the PNC’s imposition in government and the oppression it forced upon the people generally summarises its tenure. Of course it doesn’t speak to the innumerable atrocities it meted out to the populace. Those atrocities embodied their engrained passion to intimidate with impunity. Research will provide horrific details. The deaths of Dr. Walter Rodney, Father Darke, the ballot box martyrs Jagan Ramessar and Bholanauth Parmanand, to name a few under the PNC regime, drove fear into the minds of people.
While not imbued with any semblance of skills of a psychologist, it is safe to posit that fear is synonymous with intimidation. History, under the PNC rule, has a repository of instances where thousands of Guyanese lamented how they were intimidated by thugs on election days during that period when rigging was the hallmark. Many business owners then, and those who still exist, would privately narrate similar harrowing stories. From what is understood, there were various levels of intimidation, death, allegedly, of course being the highest.
Such traits of the PNC then while in government have generally not been shed now that it is in the Opposition. The violent street protests that followed elections since 1997 demonstrate that continuing proclivity. A name change and an alliance haven’t in any way divorced these tendencies. As a matter of fact, the actions of the AFC over the last few years strongly suggest a penchant to compete in this regard with its alliance partner. The uncouth ultimatum it issued to the President and the related vile threats it made at that time, its suspected involvement in the Agricola riots and it open support and involvement in the violent electricity-hike strike in Linden, are a few compelling instances.
Therein lie the similarities which vindicate the long-held belief that the AFC, since its establishment, was one and part of the PNC. The current alliance erased all doubts, if any had lingered. Therefore, for them, issuing threats comes effortlessly. Again, if there are any doubts, remember, the threat to the businessman alluded to above was made by a leading member of the AFC! With that said, it becomes much easier to understand the purpose of such threats: intimidate as many to stay true to the agenda. Maybe the electorate should adopt an attitude of telling the alliance to haul its a$$!
(By Teayken A. Dhigg)
