ON Saturday, May 10, I was utterly dumbfounded and felt extremely insulted by the terrorist tactics unleashed on Berbicians by AFC leader, Khemraj Ramjattan.

Over the weekend, I had to console many Berbicians who sought clarification on the statements made by Ramjattan. Many persons were morbidly fearful and apprehensive that the US will revoke their visitor’s visas, or that the US Embassy will stop issuing visas to Guyanese as a result of Ramjattan’s scaremongering.

I have read about APNU’s Leader bragging about ‘juk fuh juk’, but when you read the following statements you will be convinced that this ‘jukking’ by Ramjattan is explicitly graphic and aimed at terrorising Bebicians to support the AFC.

After making some erroneous remarks about the LEAD project, on which both the Guyana and US governments are now engaged in consultation, Ramjattan, in his usual angry outburst, told Berbicians that, “When you get the Americans vex, all the East Indians in Berbice who want visa to go to America, if those people retaliate, who you think will be affected? You will be affected by this Communist Government! They don’t like Americans!”

This is the statement of a man who once aspired to hold the highest office of this land, but yet is stooping so low that in order to gain political mileage he is willing to do and say anything.

The Cold War is finished, Ramjattan. The politics of the sixties are gone forever.

He went further to state, “If the US retaliates against them, then all hell will break loose because you will not get your visa and so many other things….”

For a moment, I thought that Berbice was somewhere in Afghanistan or Iraq. This is a direct insult to the US Government, since in essence Ramjattan is saying that it is the US policy to penalise and punish the people of a country for acts committed by the government of that country.

There are certain criteria requirements for persons desirous of acquiring a US visa, and if those requirements are satisfied, then visas are issued. These are posted on the US Embassy’s website, but it seems that Ramjattan knows a lot more about the operation of the US Embassy in Guyana than the officials of that country.

Moreover, the AFC Leader unwittingly admitted that the combined opposition, APNU and AFC, is making a lot of trouble in Guyana when he concluded that “…they (Government) putting our country in more trouble than what the opposition is doing and what they are saying about the Anti-Money Laundering Bill”.

Ramjattan, do you not feel that Guyanese have suffered enough? Your prognostication of doom will not give you the presidency.

The AFC Leader realises that the AFC’s support in Berbice is dwindling and it is falling apart, so the AFC is now resorting to terrorist tactics. There is a cliché which says that, “A drowning man may clutch at a straw”, but in this case the ‘straw’ is more akin to terrorist armaments.

No wonder Ramjattan is averse to supporting the Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Bill!
The AFC is getting desperate Berbicians, so beware!

HASEEF YUSUF
AFC Councillor- Region 6