Dear Editor,
The Leader of the Opposition Mr Joseph Harmon on October 9, 2020, held a press conference in which he, at the very top of his opening remarks, with disdain and anger, read out the names of the GECOM senior staffers being investigated, charged and placed before the courts by the Guyana Police Force. He went on to point out that they were all of one ethnic group. Well, Mr Harmon like the leader of the PNC seems to be suffering selective amnesia.
He needs to be reminded that it all started when Retired Judge James Patterson was unilaterally appointed as the Chairman of GECOM by then President David Granger. Patterson went on a hiring spree of one ethnic group for which the Ethnic Relations Commission saw nothing wrong. Mr Harmon was part of the Granger undemocratic entourage that directed the GECOM hiring for a specific purpose of fixing the elections in favour of the APNU/AFC.
It all backfired and so Harmon cannot now cry crocodile tears. He is responsible for their predicament, he misguided himself as he thought that the APNU/AFC would remain in Government forever and this so-called ethnic GECOM staff he referred to would have their wrongdoings swept under the carpet. His gamesmanship has failed him. They held this county, this nation, to ransom for five gut-wrenching months. Come on Harmon, be a man, take your licks. Take ownership and responsibility for setting up this GECOM ethnic group for possible incarceration.
Following statements by the PNCR GECOM Commissioner Desmond Trotman accusing the Honourable Retired Judge Madam Claudette Singh of facilitating the persecution of the GECOM staff and later recklessly and heartlessly supported by Harmon himself making similar rants. He went on to accuse her of facilitating the police action which he termed as “illegal”.
It was a cheap and blatant attempt to entangle Ms Singh in his web of deception to divert from the fact that it was him and his APNU/AFC cabal that set up his ethnic staff at the GECOM for the fall. She stood up against their planted rigours at the GECOM. Ms Singh was always the beacon of hope in an extremely volatile situation created by Harmon’s cabal and she indeed delivered handsomely without fear. Guyana is proud of this courageous Retired Judge.
Came the question time at Harmon’s press conference; the highly controversial journalist Adam Harris vented his anger, suggesting to Harmon the calling out of the dogs to settle the scores. That is so reminiscent of the dark days of the PNC rule. Everyone is well aware of the PNC “dogs of war”, compliments of late Hugh Desmond Hoyte. No doubt Harris wants to lead the charge with the dogs.
The Opposition Leader calls President Dr Irfaan Ali’s Government fraudulent and still wants to talk; Harmon is stuck in a world of denial. He needs to get his act together, wake up and “smell the coffee”, take responsibility for the present quandary he has placed his planted ethnic GECOM rigours in and apologise to Guyana and be a trustworthy respectable Opposition Leader.
Harmon needs to change course, bring some responsibility to the people he seeks to lead, stop allowing them to be called “dogs”, ring in the changes and assume the mantle of modern-day civilised behaviours. Harness the likes of Sherod Duncan and Randolph Critchlow, let them stop misleading the PNC supporters and spewing filth in the public domain. The democratic world is moving forward at a rapid pace, Harmon needs to get on board and stop being divisive.
Respectfully,
Parasram Persaud
