Dear Editor
ONE ought not to be surprised by Director-General Joseph Harmon’s statement during a recent press conference, in which he accused opposition leader Bharat Jagdeo, of “deceit.’’
Of course he is right, for this has been one of the prime characteristics of this politician, whose daily track record since his party became the parliamentary opposition, has been one of unending deceit, naked lies, and dangerous misinformation with a view to controlling his party’s support base, in addition to controlling the national political narrative.
Editor, Jagdeo has written a new manual for a different kind of opposition leader – one that does not fit within the known traditional order. It is quite clear that Jagdeo does not intend, as asked for by the CCJ, any kind of consensual approach at this most challenging time of our political existence as a nation.

He is one of the PPP/C leaders who still believe that it is the right of his party to behave like a big bad political bully, getting what he demands every time he raises his voice, because his party has the numbers – they did not have them in 2011, or 2015, and will not again, whenever forthcoming elections are held.

It is certain that the nation must have been very surprised, if not shocked, when the very next day after the initial meeting with President David Granger and his team, Jagdeo took to picketing the MoTP, demanding early elections.

Was this action necessary, on a very delicate manner that calls for careful discussions to lead to a list that gives the president enough space for choice as to the best suitable person? Such a tactic, usual for some politicians, will yield no proper and rational result. It is self-defeating, since it is a signal of bad faith, and an attempt at being a “spoiler.”
But editor, the question is immediate: how can he be demanding such immediate elections when there is no chairman appointed to GECOM at this time, and which, from all the available evidence, he is seeking to frustrate by disputing the President’s role in the listing process of eligible persons for this critical post. This can only have been a ploy, designed to send negative signals to the CCJ, and even an attempt to influence its consequential orders, given yesterday which obviously have left Jagdeo and his opposition party very disappointed, if one were to follow the post-orders remarks by one of Jagdeo’s attorneys, Sanjeev Datadin.

Such attitudes of deception and bullyism, as are some of the known behavioural constants of Jagdeo, have not led to any positive in his posture as a leader, particularly since 2015. He has certainly become a tragedy for this country, wilfully continuing to derail all opportunities for working together consensually for a unified Guyana.

Regards
Earl Hamilton