Dear Editor,
We all know the re-migrant jokes “Ken yew tell me the proice of those string beans?” Followed by “$3000 dallah, yuh tek me fuh ah ass or wha’ buddy?” How often have we laughed at the ‘freshwater Yankee’s’ expense, when acquired airs and graces disappear in the face of our often-harsh Guyanese realities? So it is with GHK Lall, no longer writing in the ‘esoteric inquisitive’, our man at the Gold Board has come down to earth in his latest missive concerning the search for a PPP/C Prime Ministerial candidate as elections draw ever closer.
GHK Lall, like many before him, contends that there is an active search for a ‘black’ candidate for reasons of public appeasement only. There are many like GHK Lall, who would have you believe that perception is indeed reality, that the non-indo PPP/C members are mere “political cosmetology”. Lall cites the influence of Dr Roger Luncheon and Sam Hinds as exceptions that prove the rule as if there were no younger black members of note. The PPP/C has over 6000 black members who make up a strong caucus within the party and form part of the decision-making process within the organisation. Unlike those in the PNC, WPA et al, these are not ageing people who are well known but young, educated and vibrant Guyanese, gearing to move the country forward, physically and mentally. One day in the near future you can certainly expect to see a presidential candidate emerge from this subset.
The Civic component of the PPP/C is where the Prime Ministerial candidates have come from traditionally, and to date, they have been Afro-Guyanese, which is not policy, it is, however, tradition and an acceptance of the early difficulties the PPP/C would have had in attracting Afro-Guyanese to join the organisation. Now that circumstances have changed with the existence of various large multi-ethnic components within the PPP/C membership, the requirement is simply to find the best civic candidate, regardless of ethnicity.
Editor, it is my hope that citizens reading this letter will be inspired to seek current information before public pontification and not repeat the errors of relying on perception like our re-migrant friend, now referred to as GHK Lol.
Respectfully,
Robin Singh
