Dear Editor,
ONCE upon a time (no, not the 91 nominated awards movie), is a famous opening line for fables, fictions and facts.
An unpopular leader (his colleagues slowly but surely abandoning him), impolite (has a problem with formal greeting), boyish (throws tantrums), lost (going north instead of east to find the wisemen), tongue-twister (claiming victory after losing the LGEs), unbalanced (sliding on slippery ground), confused (using 2019 statistics to reflect 2023 status), bully (refusing to leave an executive meeting when Hoyte asked him to), among other negative introductions, once went to the Prime Minister of The Bahamas, Phillip Davis, then incumbent Chairman of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM).

He reportedly went all the way to The Bahamas to complain about the Ali-led government, accusing them of being both racist and corrupt. He thought he was going to meet someone who will see eye to eye with him.

Not formally (uninvited), Mr. Davis decided to accommodate him out of courtesy, showing respect for the man’s office (not necessarily for the person who colludes with his collaborators to engage and encourage attempts to influence the outcome of an election).
He forgot, his integrity preceded him. The type who hides SoPs are not warmly welcomed with open arms. VP Jagdeo once said of him: “He is very upset about who holds dances on the ground and all of that. A very petty-minded person. But behind this, all is a narrative. They are very sour, they don’t want Afro-Guyanese to make any progress, for the simple reason that they can go and campaign that the PPP has been discriminating.”

Prime Minister Davis was both amused and humoured, but with much discernment and diplomacy, he casually but carefully dismissed the disillusioned detractor, publicly saying firmly and finally, “In my interactions with Irfaan Ali, I find him to be a man of integrity.”

Prime Minister Davis was reported as stating that his impressions with President Ali and his government differ from the concerns raised by the trespasser.
He added: “[He is] someone who we can join forces with on issues that impact particularly those of us in CARICOM [and] whenever he is called upon, he is there for CARICOM.”
The Prime Minister stressed: “I never got the impression of corruption, I never got the impression of racism.”
Nevertheless, the Prime Minister said he advised him to pen his concerns to the CARICOM Secretariat. If warranted, CARICOM will deliberate over those concerns. Did he dare put pen on paper to incriminate himself, fully knowing that there will be a permanent record on file about his lies?

All the Heads of CARICOM are patiently waiting to have a laugh at his expense. The demented guy seems to forget…dis time na lang time… This time is not the time of the Kabaka when he spun wool over the eyes of his counterparts and they siding with him and his fallacies for policies.

This federation is a breed of new leaders, now firmly attuned to transformation with a difference; collaboration without collusion, transparent with no room for riggers, harmony with honesty, co-operative and not subjective and a no-nonsense approach towards regional integration, justifiably, equitably and fraternally.
That luckless leader who is food for a fairytale, the man doesn’t know his head from his hide…apartheid? Here, in Guyana? He just made Sarah-Ann Lynch’s day! At least she will have something to smile about on her journey home and something funny to joke about in Capital Hill with Hakeem Jeffries.

And now another PNC fabricator has joined the bandwagon to claim that “the Ali government, in many ways, is not different from the colonial masters and enslavers.” Careless talk is cheap but also bears serious consequences. The man has just ridiculed his generations of strugglers and tainted his roots.
His thoughtless verbatim has backfired and allowed Prime Minister, Brigadier (Ret’d) Mark Phillips to expose his lapse by pointing out that the parliamentarian has “trivialised the magnitude of slavery.”

Barbados Prime Minister, Mia Mottley, refers to President Dr. Irfaan Ali as her brother. President Ali, in fact, enjoys the warm cameraderie of all the Heads of CARICOM. He is welcomed with open arms any time because he is no “sanctimonious gangster.”

No CARICOM leader will stand by idly and see the lying PNC try to degrade one of their own, who is supportive of ideals and principles of true democracy.
Outgoing US Ambassador, the gracious, generous and glorifying Sarah-Ann Lynch laid the final nail in the PNC’s coffin, when she remarked: “We know positive change takes continued effort, but the United States government is proud to be a partner who is here to stay. We will continue to partner with Guyana in the critical areas of governance, economic development and security and we will also continue to invest in Guyana’s growing and vital civil society.”

The US is here to stay and will not support riggers of any election and the PNC knows no other way to win. The PNC can no longer “try a thing” to get into power through the back door. The US has turned her back on the PNC! The PNC is now a “once upon a time” fairytale.
Yours respectfully,
Jai Lall