Dear Editor,
THERE has been much public speculation and discussion about the veracity of the claims made by Mr Irfaan Ali regarding his academic qualifications. Editor, it is my belief that many Guyanese are missing the point, and focusing entirely on the wrong issue. The real question is, whether or not Irfaan Ali is honest and trustworthy enough to manage Guyana’s affairs; his qualifications are of far less importance than his integrity and credibility.

Editor, there have been many heads-of-state around the world who have had little formal education. For example, former President of South Africa, Jacob Zuma, had no formal education; he borrowed books from friends and taught himself. The legendary Winston Churchill was Prime Minister of Great Britain, leading that country through World War Two and he never went to a college or university. George Washington, the first President of the United States of America did not complete his school education due to his father’s death. Editor, it is not about education; it is all about honesty.

The point is, education is most certainly a big plus, as Guyana will soon become an oil-producing State. But, importantly, Guyana needs a proven leader who is honest, credible, trustworthy, and of unquestioned character; Irfaan Ali fails in all of those areas. Irfaan Ali clearly lied about his education background; he is obviously not honest. He keeps on evading questions; he is therefore not credible. He built a mansion estimated to cost some $300 million just three years after becoming the Minister of Housing and Water under the People’s Progressive Party’s (PPP) regime – clearly, Ali could not do that with his salary alone, so, from where did he get the money? One may thus conclude that he is untrustworthy. And, Irfaan Ali’s character is certainly questionable; editor, he is before the courts facing 19 charges of fraud.

Editor, considering the facts, if a person is shown to be dishonest, untrustworthy, and of questionable character, can we trust such a person to tell us the truth? How can we trust Irfaan Ali when he makes the laughably outlandish promise to create 50,000 jobs? How can Guyanese trust him to manage our oil-money? How can we trust him with the futures of our children? Editor, it is all about honesty, trustworthiness, and credibility; Irfaan Ali simply does not meet those basic requirements.

Regards
Mark DaCosta