–the greatest challenge for citizens today

Dear Editor,
I WAS in the village of Eccles on the East Bank Demerara over the weekend and heard from more than one resident that at a PPP/Civic Rally in the said community, speaker after speaker attacked the ‘Coalition’ for allegedly mismanaging our country.
In the nature of things, that is the right and expectation of political parties during an election campaign.

I have no difficulty with such spirited rhetoric, but when the PPP speakers, as they did at Eccles, attempt to diminish the role I played in the social and political development of Guyana, they have certainly gone beyond the boundary. One speaker even went so far as to say that as Former Prime Minister who, on several occasions carried out the duties of President, that that person ought not to be in receipt of a pension.

Everywhere in the civilised world, individuals who served at a high level of Government are granted a pension. The danger of such reckless utterances is that our young people and those who are voting for the first time, may be influenced by such one-sided and unjustified statements made in public.

Young voters and those with short memories, listening to what was said at Eccles may ignore the mayhem and madness engineered by the PPP whenever they were in Government. The PPP forgot to mention that during their recent tenure, due to their roaming death squads, Police deaths increased by an astronomical one thousand (1000%) percent. Yes, one thousand (1,000%) percent.

For example, recall, the circumstances of the deaths of Superintendent Leon Fraser, 2002, ambushed and shot dead at Yarrowkabra, on the Soesdyke-Linden Highway, Sergeant Harry Kooseram, 2002, shot at Strathspey Public Road, East Coast Demerara, Constable Rayon Roberts, 2003, shot and killed in Bent Street, Lance Corporal Zaheer Zakier, 2008, shot and killed in the Bartica Massacre and Constable Baldat Becramsingh, 2010, shot and killed at Lamaha Springs, La Penitence, Georgetown.

These among others lost their lives, compliment of the infamous Phantom Squad, the brainchild of the PPP Minister of Home Affairs. I recall, bodies of PNC supporters fished out from the Mahaicony Creek, after being killed by home-grown Terrorists.

Recall, PPP activist, who had his hands blown off while transporting a bomb in West Demerara. Earlier, we must not forget the bombing of the Sun Chapman, July 6, 1964, in the Demerara River, which took the lives of forty-three PNC known supporters who were on their way to their homes in the Linden Community. Of course, we had faeces thrown in the face of Freddie Kissoon for speaking out against the atrocities of the PPP.

Mark Benschop was incarcerated for exposing the calumny of the PPP regime. Ronald Waddle, Minister Sash Sawh, Courtney Crum-Ewing’s lives were all snuffed out because they dared to oppose position taken by the PPP Top Brass. These are mere samples of the destruction and distrust that descended on our Nation as a result of the People’s Progressive Party being in office.

The above are all verifiable and sound recorded in the book “Pain to Peace,” 1953 – 1964. It is clear that the PPP speakers on the campaign trail have adopted the philosophy of Paul Joseph Goebbels, Adolph Hitler’s Minister of Propaganda during the horrible Nazi regime in Germany, who believed that if you repeat the most absurd and inaccurate of Statements, often enough, it will soon be accepted as gospel truth.

Today, our greatest challenge is for citizens to withstand the aggressive crusaders who are re-writing history and have become experts on oil and gas, all intended to be smirched with character of our President and the Leadership of the Coalition.

Regards,
Hamilton Green