Honest, decent leadership with integrity – Granger offers none, Jagdeo shows how

Dear Editor,
In the 2020 elections campaign, the PPP promised an honest, decent Government, one with integrity. APNU/AFC campaigned, not on a Government of decency and honesty, but for a man of decency, honesty and integrity. David Granger himself asked people to vote for him because of his decency, honesty and integrity.
APNU/AFC did not campaign on its record in Government or on their plans for the next five years. Their whole campaign was selling Granger as a man of honesty, decency and integrity. In January, I denounced APNU/AFC’s and Granger’s claim of decency, honesty and integrity. The Ministry of the Presidency demanded I apologise. I refused and, in response, explained why. I never heard again from the Ministry of the Presidency. Just since March 2, he has had multiple opportunities and every time he has chosen indecency, dishonesty and no integrity.
The latest example is the response and treatment of the Honourable Prime Minister of Barbados. Mia Mottley is the Chair of Caricom. Granger was a part of inviting Mia Mottley to send a supervising team to observe the recount of the March 2 ballots, deeming them the most “legitimate interlocutor”, even as he personally banned The Carter Center and other international observer groups from the recount. Granger himself approved a Caricom team to observe the March 2, 2020 elections.
Both those teams reported that the March 2 elections were free and fair, representing the will of the people and that the recount reflected the actual results of the elections, not different from the Statements of Poll produced on March 2. Prime Minister Mottley, on March 17, was forced to conclude there were forces in Guyana committed to preventing the recount, after the Caricom team stood helplessly by when one of APNU/AFC’s member challenged the recount in court.
Just a few days ago, she had to issue a statement condemning efforts by the Chief Elections Officer to arbitrarily disregard the ballots from the elections and making up his own numbers, totally throwing away the recount numbers from the Statements of Poll which were confirmed by the Statements of Recount from a recount conducted by GECOM itself and witnessed by all political parties, local observers and the Caricom “best interlocutor” team.
For speaking the truth, Prime Minister Mottley has come under the most despicable, brutal attack from APNU/AFC and its sycophants. One of Granger’s former MP insulted PM Mottley, speaking about her sexuality. The sycophants have alleged the Prime Minister was “bought” out by Bharrat Jagdeo. The daughter of the late dictator, Forbes Burnham, Granger’s hero, threatened that the PNC/APNU/AFC is not afraid of PM Mottley because, as her father once said, their “sword is sterner than steel”.
The attacks have been nothing short of vile, much of which cannot be repeated in forums like this. Granger has said nothing to discourage his sycophants. In fact, Granger himself condemned Prime Minister Mottley. Far from discouraging his supporters from any vile attack on the PM of Barbados, by his own statement, he has encouraged the vicious personal attacks on PM Mottley. The personal attacks on PM Mottley show indecency, dishonesty and a total lack of integrity.
Previously, there were personal attacks against Bruce Golding, former PM of Jamaica, who headed the OAS team, Owen Arthur, former PM of Barbados, who headed the Commonwealth team and PM Ralph Gonsalves, the PM of St Vincent and the Grenadines, who accompanied PM Mottley to Guyana and the next Chair of Caricom. There have been personal attacks against diplomats, the local Private Sector and anyone who dares to point out that the election results must be honoured.
Granger has personally made claims of winning the elections. He was ready to be sworn in on three separate occasions, on fake declarations. But he has admitted he has never seen his party’s copies of the Statements of Poll. He claimed to have seen a spreadsheet, presumably Mingo’s bogus spreadsheets. He has refused to instruct the release of his party’s copies of the SoPs.
He is ready to accept Lowenfield’s fraudulent results. He agreed to a recount and promised he will “totally accept the recount results, whatever it is” and that he will accept whatever GECOM says. Yet he allowed his party to challenge the recount, he has gone along with deeming living Guyanese dead and Guyanese at home as not being at home. He has time and again disavowed his own words. He has shown total dishonesty, indecency and has acted with no integrity throughout his five years as President of Guyana.
Two weeks ago, Bharrat Jagdeo admonished supporters of the PPP and others for making disparaging remarks relating to Justice Claudette Singh. He was not chastising anyone for being critical of how Justice Singh has managed GECOM and the March 2 elections. But he requested all supporters of the PPP and others to be respectful of Justice Singh and to avoid personal attacks.
PPP supporters have many reasons for frustration with Justice Singh and, therefore, it is not shocking that some of these supporters have been brutal in their “cussing” down of Justice Singh. But Bharrat Jagdeo made a public statement asking them to desist from disparaging Justice Singh. In spite of his own misgivings about Justice Singh’s management of the elections, Bharrat Jagdeo still made a call to the PPP supporters to desist from uncivilised behaviour. This is what honest, decent leadership is. This is leadership with integrity.
Bharrat Jagdeo does not wear these values on his sleeves. He does not sell himself as an honest, decent leader, one with integrity. Instead, he leads by example. He leads with hard work and demands the same from those who serve with him and follow. It does not mean that he will not act and behave in ways that some persons might disagree with. But one has to admit that he provides leadership to his supporters and for his country.
Bharrat Jagdeo understands that Guyana must defend its democracy. He understands that Guyana is a member of the regional and global family, that Guyana has obligations as part of our regional and global memberships. It is the reason the world looks to him as a “Champion of the Earth”, while, as a respected former Barbadian Ambassador surmised, many in the region regard Granger as a “sanctimonious gangster”.

Sincerely,
Dr Leslie Ramsammy