Dear Editor,
I WAS disappointed in Mr Sase Singh, who should know better, for alleging “racism” in the appointment of senior public servants such as permanent secretaries.
Over the past 50 years, and before independence, the public service (Government service) comprised an overwhelming majority of Afro-Guyanese. The police and Army had and continue to have some 90% plus who are Afro-Guyanese.
The PPP administrations, especially during the tenure of Cheddi Jagan, did not change the ethnic balance probably out of respect for (a) traditional composition and (b) fear that the party/government would be guilty of racial discrimination. During the presidencies of Jagdeo and Ramotar, several Indo Guyanese were made permanent secretaries, not to bring ethnic balance or better qualified public servants to the top, but to impose political control and manipulation.
Several of the PPP Permanent Secretaries such as Mitra Devi Ally, Collin Croal, Dharamlall, and Omar Sharief were PPP central committee members and had been candidates for previous elections. The politicisation of the civil service under the PPP was worse than any infusion of race- bias. This was evident in the elevation of Dr Roger Luncheon to the position of Head of the Presidential secretarial ( HPS). Though he is Afro Guyanese, his role was that of PPP strongman over the public service and he would resign his post to contest elections for the PPP and would be reinstated after as if nothing had happened. That farce was a blemish to the tradition of the public service.
In a sense, the PPP did nothing to improve the work or image of the public service. It imposed its own brand of racism which was political nepotism on the service. Sase Singh has allowed himself to be blinded by the ethnic blinkers and stoking this poison to please his new friends who once described him as ‘Thunderbolt Singh”
Regards
Earl Hamilton