OLD KAI was not surprised to have read that APNU, led by David Granger, visited East Berbice/Corentyne on March 8 2014. Ironically, it was the day before the PPP’s annual tribute to the legacy of the Jagans at Babu John, Port Mourant.This clearly is a sign of desperation, no doubt brought on by the damning revelations of a recent opinion poll which shows both the APNU and AFC losing considerable support among the masses.

However, while Mr. Granger is free to visit whichever community he chooses today (unlike what obtained in the past, when PPP members were prevented from visiting parts of their own country; and I can recall how Mr. Harrypersaud Nokta was brutally beaten and sent back to Georgetown by the dictatorship when he had attempted to visit an interior community), there is something despicable that emanated from the APNU visit to East Berbice, and it should be condemned by all Guyanese.

Rather than going to Berbicians and showing some remorse for his past actions, including the fact that he had labelled those who were struggling for free and fair elections as ‘gangsters’ in a subsequent book he wrote, Mr. David Granger went there and insinuated that these citizens were not committed to national unity and racial reconciliation. This is a dangerous attack upon the integrity of the people in Region 6, who showed that they were way above the devious political machinations of Mr. Granger and the Opposition by allowing him into their communities.

To then turn around, in the APNU press statement on March 9, 2014, and attack Berbicians by asking them to “…commit themselves to national unity and racial reconciliation, and renounce thoughts of retaliation and recrimination”, is clearly telling the nation that the people of Region 6 have not been committed all along to these ideals.

This is a disgraceful attack, especially coming from no less a person than David Granger, who has staunchly refused to admit that the PNC Government, of which he was a senior figure, used every undemocratic measure, including the rigging of elections, to stay in office until 1992.

He has refused to repent for openly praising the actions of soldiers in shooting down innocent citizens, ‘the ballot box martyrs’, who were simply asking for their votes to be counted at the polling station, rather than being mysteriously whisked away by Mr. Granger’s people.
In fact, when questioned recently, Mr. Granger said he was not aware of any such plans, nor had he any involvement; yet he wrote extensively about the incident, for a man with no knowledge, including praising the soldiers for their actions by saying they ‘behaved splendidly in the face of provocation’.

He further notes that “the sound political education that the soldiers received in 1971 and 1972 enabled them to act with tact, discretion, and firmness in 1973, and this saved the day (for Mr. Granger’s dictatorship).”

This is the man who now went to Berbice and promised that “APNU will put power back in the hands of people”. Clearly, he is a few decades late.

Old Kai will now help to rejig Mr. Granger’s memory, as he claims he cannot recall any rigging of elections by the PNC. Below is a declassified telegram sent to the State Department by then US Ambassador to Guyana, Delmar Carlson, who met with Burnham in early June 1967 and in which he detailed part of Burnham’s plan to rig the votes in the next elections:

“In course discussion with Prime Minister Burnham last night, I raised subject[of] coming elections, and explained election mathematics at my disposal tended[to] show that the PNC majority over the PPP and the U.F. would require at minimum 60,000 votes additional. Even Prime Minister Burnham does not consider that overseas vote can be blown up to that extent; even [the] 50,000 figure used by him very hypothetically, and 30,000 accepted as more realistic (Embassy finds in excess of 25,000 not believable).

“Earlier, Prime Minister Burnham said that overseas vote figures could be manipulated pretty much as he wished, and he tentatively had in mind, say 25,000, for a new coalition government and 5,000 for the PPP. When pressed by these mathematics, Prime Minister Burnham said he “would not break his lance” over the PNC majority, meaning that if the U.S.G. (United States Government) made issue of it, he would not pursue it. Clear however, he intends to follow (a) number of election tricks to add to the PNC totals and detract from the PPP votes.
Accumulated total of these may well produce a surprisingly good showing for the PNC, though falling short of absolute majority.

Adds that he [is] well aware of [the] need that these election tricks be done smoothly and without controversy.”

Despite this damning revelation, when questioned by the media, Saint Granger is quoted as saying: “I don’t have evidence that they (elections) were rigged”, and we are further told that “Granger is unapologetic about having always espoused the values of the PNC and its founder leader Burnham…”
This is coming from a man who, among several other government appointments, was also the planning officer for the establishment of the Guyana National Service (1973-74) and the Guyana People’s Militia (1976-77). He was also made Commander of the GDF from 1979 to 1990. Yet he claims he is unaware of what occurred during this dark time in our history, and during which time he held such ‘influential’ posts.

The facts above clearly indicate that Mr. Granger cannot bring himself to lead by example and show that he is genuine about his calls for reconciliation and national unity in Guyana. Therefore, APNU’s statement ordering Berbicians to “commit themselves to national unity and racial reconciliation and renounce thoughts of retaliation and recrimination” should instead be directed to Mr. Granger and his party’s leadership.