Dear Editor,

LOCAL Government Elections (LGEs) are less than three weeks away, and the likely final results present a haunting mental torment for opposition elements.

The countdown pace is agitating some closet ideologue hopefuls, whose futile ranting and raving displays can only hasten their long-lost relevance or recognition.

A PPP/C landslide victory in the upcoming LGs is highly anticipated, based on the party’s aggressive, thorough preparation. Of critical importance is the genuine demonstration by PPP/C leaders to be all-inclusive in embracing the entire nation, and this is sending the feeble PNC/racist remaining few mad because they are finding it challenging to create divisions based on ethnicity.

There remain brainwashed remnants of the latter setup, a few soloists whose rationale remains clouded and vendetta driven in the attempts to deflect attention from the PPPC’s progression. Henry Jeffrey, a former ‘ideologue’ of the YSM/PNC, absolutely fits the profile and reacts with the hope that he finds some new political footing.

This well-known ‘rabble-rouser’ is a proven opportunist defector from his party of birth/PNC, whose internal antagonism realised his sidelining by former PNC Leader Desmond Hoyte. He was given a second chance by Dr Cheddi Jagan when he jumped ship, but later ran out from the Civic component of the PPP/C and is now pretending to be a defender of ‘Afro-Guyanese.’

In a recent message in the free press in Guyana, this political’ grasshopper’ tries to paint a negative picture of the PPP/C’s ‘discrimination’ concerning contract allocation and the effects of slavery. Jeffery, conditionally, is trying to position himself as being so concerned and disturbed with the vast amount of people crossing the floor to be with the PPP/C slate.

The situation begs questions about what he did when he crossed the floor, joined the PPP, and spent three terms as a senior minister in the PPP Government.

Specifically, what did he do for Afro-Guyanese? Let him tell this nation what he did as Minister of Housing and Labour and Senior Minister of Education for Afro- Guyanese.

As Jeffrey falsely tries to speak of Afro-Guyanese allocation of ‘contracts,’ he had the responsibility of and benefitted from and overseeing contracts of his own.

Moreover, this Burnhamite ideologue benefitted from taxpayers’ scholarships and was catapulted as principal of the Kuru Kuru Cooperative College when he returned to Guyana.

In this position, Jeffrey did nothing significant to advance the ‘Afro-Guyanese’s capacity to become bourgeoisie or small entrepreneurs. Instead, he ensured the sustenance of a particular reputation, from their services-oriented strengthening as public servants, teachers, and nurses and to work in the disciplined services.

As a Burnham ideologue, Jeffery was at the helm of many alleged questionable acts. Although Burnham reportedly used the disciplined forces to rig massively in 1968, 1973, 1978, and 1980, he did not choose to give Afro-Guyanese contracts.

Instead, the riggers put on the front page of the New Nation Paper, a caption which read, ‘The steel is Sharper now than ever.’ Accompanying were the photographs of five strong military men holding up military weapons and threatening anyone who dared to resist the rigging of elections.

Indeed, the nature of these self-aggrandizing ideologues contributed more to the suppression of the Afro-Guyanese people, whom they still do not wish to see emerge from their selfish grip. Jeffrey is reminded that when one throws a stone tied to the end of a string, the centrifugal forces can likely ensure a force is redirected towards the centre when not adequately controlled.

Today, the tremendous development that is taking place in Guyana is attracting our diversity in support of a unified democratic position. The ‘One Guyana’ motto of President Dr Irfaan Ali and the PPP General Secretary’s ability to mobilise his forces and unite this nation must be the reason for this nation to rise and be connected. As our intellectuals, youths, and people of all walks of life live better, Guyana’s democracy will be strengthened at all levels.

Yours truly,
Neil Kumar.