THERE is no psychological explanation why intelligent or educated or mature or experienced persons would see Azruddin Mohamed as a political prospect, much less a presidential prospect.

The more I think of who Mohamed has been, and what he is, the more I am convinced that those who endorse or support or socialise politically with Mohamed are psychologically problematic folks.

I would not say mentally flawed, because the mental and the psychological have different nuances, with the mental horizon being deeper than the psychological terrain. Something has to be wrong with a human in Guyana that sees political substance in Mohamed. This does not mean there cannot be a political future for him.

There is a political future for all of us in all countries, but we have to work for it. We must establish ourselves in some form of endeavour, spend some years in it, then break out into politics. Mohamed missed that route. His endeavour was being a man spending billions he never worked a day in his life for, and that his escapades led to the Main Street incident, which is a ghost that will never leave him.

My problem as an experienced academic, media practitioner, and social activist is not with Mohamed. How is Mohamed my problem? He is not. Any fool has the right to contest their country’s presidency. My dilemma is with the people who see this man as eligible to be the president of Guyana.

Do we have such people in Guyana? Well, it looks like we do. And that is a troubling sign. People have actually joined his nomination list, and now they have to face the consequences. In other words, they will be brought to their senses not by their own volition, but by the commercial banks of Guyana.

The people who joined Mohamed are naïve. Not versed in finance and business, they probably do not understand the depth of Mohamed’s quicksand. Mr. Mohamed is under wide-ranging sanctions, and those sanctions have complex sections that Mohamed’s political sycophants do not understand.

They will understand now, because the commercial banks have forced them to comprehend what they are facing with their association with Mohamed. More banks will follow the direction of Demerara Bank, and Mohamed’s associates will face financial devastation. The explanation is simple. Demerara Bank has closed their accounts. It means that they have to take the money in cash.

If they are given a manager’s check, the other banks may not accept the cheque. These people then will end up having to take home their millions in cash. What have they learnt from the Odessa Primus incident? The rumour is that Primus’ visa was revoked because of an association with Mohamed. Primus said she was not a victim of visa sanction, but that she went up to the US to surrender her visa.
While for the sake of libel we cannot say that Primus’ visa was cancelled, we retain the right to disbelieve her. Vice-President Jagdeo made a mockery of the visa surrender explanation. He said at his press conference that all Ms. Primus had to do was to walk into the U.S. Embassy and cancel the thing herself. He mockingly said that it is stupid to travel to the U.S. while you can do the cancellation right here.

We are going to see more banks closing the accounts of the close political intimates of Mohamed. But how can one feel sorry for them when so much has been written about the far-reaching consequences of having relationships with Mohamed?

What Guyana is facing is a possibility of internecine economic hardship if the US withdraws its financial and economic relation with Guyana because of Mohamed’s entry into Parliament. The US Ambassador did not use subtle references. She said in unambiguous grammar that the presence of Mohamed in Parliament could affect US trade with Guyana.

The reality of the post-colonial West Indies is that we have maintained an intricate network of financial, economic and trade relations after Independence with the U.S. and the West. What has to be learnt from what the U.S. Ambassador has said is that if the U.S. moves against Guyana, then obviously the Western countries will follow.

The EU and Canada are not going to continue economic and financial connections with Guyana if the US halts American investments.

This country can be likened to an individual who grew up in a massive property and then an opportunity came for them to have a future. Just 20 years ago, our future was uncertain. We have a shining future because we export oil that brings in a substantial income, and that brings with it prodigious investments.

A political charlatan like Azruddin Mohamed must not be allowed to jeopardise the future of this country.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.