Dear Editor,

TODAY I will attempt to do a forensic examination of Presidential Candidate of the PPP, Irfaan Ali.
Sadly, Irfaan Ali has been hidden from the electorate, like the evidence the SOCU operatives have been struggling to find to prosecute the corrupt PPP officials. Does he have respect for women?

Not much to go on, since Irfaan Ali has been in prolonged hibernation since selected by the Champion of Oil, hence avoiding the analytical radar. What I do know as fact is that Irfaan Ali, as Housing Minister, was very disrespectful of many that went to his office. What I also know as fact is that many were forcibly and humiliatingly ejected from his office. Sadly, these included many of our vulnerable women. What is also fact is that he verbally abused our Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr. Karen Cummings. What is also fact is that she was so scared that she locked her car windows. What is also fact is that based on his hand gesticulation and facial expression, he would have caused her serious physical harm. What is also fact is that when he recognised he physically couldn’t get to her, he tried to turn-turtle her vehicle. What is also fact is that his mentor, Bharrat Jagdeo’s ex-wife made serious allegations of domestic abuse against him. With this type of sordid information, I will have to give Irfaan Ali a ‘Severe fail’.

RELIGIOUS TOLERANCE
Quite frankly, we do not know Ali’s position on religion. He has never communicated that to us in word or action. As a result, I will grade him: ‘Not Applicable’.

RESPECT FOR ALL RACES
This I find very concerning about Irfaan Ali. Here are my concerns. From 1992 – 2015, Afro-Guyanese were very much a part of Guyana. The PPP, as a party, excluded them from their party, apart from a few window dressers. It is deplorable that for 23 years, the PPP never had an Afro-Guyanese overseas ambassador, since, in their estimation, none was suitable. Along with that, Afro-Guyanese were denied contracts, scholarships, Fellowship’s or any opportunity for upward social mobility. Hundreds of blacks were murdered by the PPP ‘Phantom Squad’. Blacks were incarcerated for treason. Their crime was to vocalise the concerns of many blacks. The PPP did this because the demographics favoured them, hence there wasn’t a need to be civil towards Afro-Guyanese. Irfaan Ali was a part of the government and didn’t speak out against this injustice. Now the demographic has changed due to migration and change in support, the PPP now recognises they need the votes of other races if they are to win a majority. They now conveniently identify with the said Afro-Guyanese group.
They have gone on a campaign of paying Afro-Guyanese for endorsement and votes. They have gone on a campaign of “hug a random Afro-Guyanese and take a photo.” They are running many advertisements with Afro-Guyanese. They are paying their way for voter suppression in Afro-Guyanese communities. Afro-Guyanese were in Guyana for centuries. Is it only now PPP became aware of them? Also more concerningly, during this election campaign, Jagdeo said to an Indo-Guyanese audience, “We are taking back our country.” What he meant is clear. This is Irfaan Ali’s campaign, and I find this very concerning. Irfaan Ali’s grade is: ‘Severe fail’.

RESPECT FOR POLITICAL OPPONENTS
Irfaan was part of a protest group which placed the President’s life in danger by their illegal actions. Irfaan Ali, during a violent protest, endangered the life of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. Irfaan Ali and his campaign have branded the President illegal and unconstitutional. Irfaan Ali and his campaign have attacked the President’s health in the most disgusting way. As mentioned above, Ali verbally abused a Minister; he wanted to assault her. He tried to turn-turtle her car with her inside. Again, Irfaan will get a severe fail.

TRUMPED UP TREASON CHARGES
Unfortunately, Irfaan Ali was part of a party and/or government which incarcerated three innocent Guyanese for treason. One spent five years in solitary confinement. A husband-and-wife spent nearly two years in jail. Irfaan Ali had many opportunities to apologise but never did. Their basic human rights were denied. Again, a severe fail

NARCO-STATE
Irfaan Ali was part of a PPP Government that reduced Guyana to a Narco-State. The United States was so concerned about Guyana being a transshipment point for drugs that they wanted to have the DEA in Guyana. The PPP Government, which Irfaan Ali was a part of, vehemently resisted it because they wanted to protect their friends. Roger Khan, a convicted drug dealer confessed that he was doing his illegal acts with the full knowledge of the PPP Government. Roger Khan was caught in Suriname with over 150kg of cocaine. The Suriname authorities could have simply deported him back to Guyana. The Americans wanted him, but they did not trust the PPP Government. As a result he was transported to Trinidad and subsequently extradited America. Completely keeping the untrustworthy PPP Government, which Irfaan Ali was a part of, out of loops. It is only with this Government and the work of DEA, who are now in Guyana that the major drug traffickers are being caught. Assessment grade for Irfaan Ali is a severe fail.

HONESTY AND INTEGRITY
Irfaan Ali has 19 criminal charges. He has credible allegations of academic fraud against him. He is persona non-grata in Canada. Within two years of becoming a government minister he was able to build a multimillion US$ mansion with swimming pool. As housing minister, there were allegations of him accepting bribes. Hundreds of land applicants were waited for years for a piece of land. They trusted him to do his job but he did not. The application list was mountainous when this Government came into power. Irfaan Ali was not a man of honesty and integrity then and he is not a man of honesty and integrity now. Severe fail is his grade.

A PRESIDENT TO LEAD NATIONAL UNITY
To unite a country requires honesty and integrity which Irfaan Ali and his mentor Bharrat Jagdeo lack. Irfaan Ali has 19 criminal charges, persona non grata in Canada, facing serious allegations of academic fraud, faced credible allegations of fraud when he was the Minister of Housing and his conduct during political protest was far below the standard expected of a President. His mentor, Bharrat Jagdeo is not much better. Under his watch the phantom squad murdered hundreds, Guyana was a narco-state, corruption was pervasive, basic human rights abused with three innocent persons being locked away for trumped of charges of treason and press freedom was denied. Also to lead national unity, one must be able to lead. Irfaan Ali cannot even lead his own destiny in his Presidential campaign, so how can he lead a country? Whatever he says is dictated to him and he is instructed when to talk about personal matters and when to be quiet. He has zero leadership skills and would struggle to lead a girl guides group of two. Finally to unite a country the leader must be a great uniter. Bharrat Jagdeo is the most divisive figure in Guyana and Irfaan Ali is number 2. All in all, a severe fail for Irfaan Ali

CONCLUSION
Mohammed Irfaan Ali has now been placed under my political microscope, during which time he endured his most detailed examination yet. All flaws present would have been detected, if not naturally, would be under flaw enhancing agents to reveal any leadership limitations. During this microscopic political examination, I had covered all facets of Irfaan Ali’s professional and personal life. Unfortunately during this initial assessment, Irfaan Ali’s performance was concerningly way below the standard expected of a lead protester much less a President. I desperately wanted to see him succeed so I proceeded to the enhance level of the assessment, hoping that he will do better. In this enhanced assessment Irfaan Ali was found to have the confidence of a toddler who is in a completely new environment.

He struggled to inspire himself to have a healthy diet and exercise, therefore it was no surprise that he has struggled to inspire Guyana. Irfaan Ali does have great commitment and passion but to do the wrong thing-corruption. He lacks any for the country where we all buried our navel string. Further, anyone who is facing 19 criminal charges and still tried to assault a sitting Minister and turn turtle her vehicle, cannot be considered rational and decisive in his decision making. Irfaan Ali is the worse Presidential candidate in Guyana’s history and possible the world. He has so much baggage, and I am not referring to his bodily weight, that it would be a complete surprise if anyone would waste their vote on him.

Even if we were to ignore his baggage, something that many will find difficult to do, then simply examining the team he is surrounded by, will reveal that they were the same shady characters that reduced Guyana to a narco-state, the murder capital of the world, a corruption haven resulting in us being blacklisted and making Guyana a very divided country. It is these unchanged and unrepentant politicians that will be guiding a corrupt Irfaan Ali. Finally, this election is being viewed by the PPP as an avenue to strong-arm the judiciary to drop the criminal charges that many of them are rightfully facing.

The executive should not interfere with the work of the judiciary. At least that is how the framers of our constitution set it out to be. An election of Irfaan Ali and the crime evading PPP family would serve as a permit for them to usurp the judiciary. The PPP will take Guyana back into the darks days when everyone was fearful of speaking out or they will be charged for treason or assaulted since the executive controlled the judiciary. As a result Irfaan Ali is unfit to be President and the PPP unfit to ever be in Government.
Regards,
Dr. Mark Devonish