David Hinds and Lincoln Lewis: 2 peas in the same pod

Dear Editor,
Dr Chia Thye Poh, a former political prisoner from Singapore, is credited with the following quotation: “A hypocrite is more dangerous than a dishonest man. A dishonest man deceives and cheats, and a hypocrite betrays and swindles.”
While there are many who fit this description, two immediately come to mind: David Hinds and Lincoln Lewis.
At a time when Government’s public policy is to promote social cohesion, these so-called African Rights Activists give the impression of fighting for Guyanese of African descent, when collectively they have done very little to improve the wellbeing of ordinary Afro-Guyanese. Instead, they are more interested in self-gratification, using ‘black’ people to benefit themselves.
Now, to secure their own interest, they will do and say anything to prolong the life of this caretaker Government, which is known for pilfering the resources of our country and employing frivolous legal challenges to delay the holding of elections.
It is a pathetic David Hinds who, in an effort to showcase his party’s relevance, now dances to the African drums of the PNC/APNU as he readily admits to planning a series of community meetings in Buxton and other PNC strongholds to win back disaffected Coalition voters.
Of course the five members of the WPA must all be aware that they are being used by the PNC/APNU to campaign in areas where the APNU is no longer welcome or have support. I have no doubt that David Hinds is being compensated or facilitated with taxpayers’ money for his services. Walter Rodney must be turning over in his grave by this betrayal.
Lincoln Lewis, on the other hand, cunningly uses his position as a popular trade unionist to try to influence other disaffected Coalition voters, giving them the impression that it is the Opposition Leader who is being unreasonable by demanding that the President and the Attorney General respect our Constitution.
In his usual diatribe in Kaieteur News (August 25, 2019), Lewis accused the PPP/C of neglecting to discharge its constitutional responsibilities.
“The refusal of the Leader of the Opposition to return to parliament is an abrogation of constitutional responsibility, highlighting a shortcoming in his leadership as the nation’s second highest political office holder. His promises on behalf of the PPP, when he has the constitutional authority to work and ensure these are realised, must see us holding him to account. The PPP’s Members of Parliament (MPs), together with the Coalition’s MPs, must return to the National Assembly and legislate the promises now”, Lewis contends.
Lewis’s arguments are totally fallacious. First of all, it is the Government that summons a sitting of Parliament, the Opposition does not have the power to do so.
Secondly, when Parliament was illegally called into session on May 23, five months after the successful passage of the No-Confidence Motion (NCM), Government did not invite the Opposition to extend its life by seeking a two-thirds majority, but instead approved a $7.9 billion supplementary appropriation, which included $3.5 billion in funding for the Guyana Elections Commission (GECOM), $2 billion in funding for the Ministry of Public Infrastructure, and $1.5 billion for the Ministry of Communities; as well as several hundreds of millions in funding for the Ministries of Finance, Social Cohesion, Social Protection and National Security.
In short, Government used Parliament for an assault on the Treasury, to draw down additional funds to support their shameless political campaign, disguised as “ministerial outreach”.
The truth is: Lincoln Lewis is nothing more than a stooge for the PNC/APNU; employed to do their dirty work; trying to divert the blame from David Granger, the man who continues to disrespect and ignore our Constitution, by blaming it all on the Opposition Leader, Bharrat Jagdeo.
Lewis is worse than an apologist; who now deflects Granger’s constitutional responsibility as the only person under the constitution with the power to resign Cabinet, dissolve Parliament, and name a date for election; none of which he has done.
The CCJ ruled that Charrandas Persaud exercised his constitutional rights and freedom of conscience when he voted in favour of the NCM, but the authoritarians and dictators see that as treacherous.
Throughout the world, whenever an NCM is passed successfully, it means that someone from the other side voted for it. In no part of the world is that person described as treacherous and a traitor, except in Guyana.
Unlike the Attorney General, who often does not realise how idiotic he sounds, Lincoln Lewis usually commands the respect of his peers. But no matter which way he twists and turns the facts, Lewis cannot refashion the Constitution to suit his purpose — which is to ignore Granger’s violations. His efforts to denigrate the Leader of the Opposition speak volumes of his allegiance and the way he has always seen things: through his ethnic eyes!

Harry Gill
PPP/C Member of Parliament