Joe Harmon is full of harm and has no harmony

Dear Editor,
Last week, Leader of the Opposition party decided to write the Indian Government that Guyana’s proposed appointment of past APUN/AFC member, Mr Charrandas Persaud as High Commissioner, could hurt relations between the two Commonwealth member nations. Can you imagine the audacity, the hypocrisy and idiocy! In a poorly-worded letter crafted to attract sympathetic attention, dated February 4, 2021, and addressed to the External Relations Minister, Mr Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, he stated, “The people of Guyana have always enjoyed cordial relations with the Government and people of India and we are concerned that Mr Persaud’s appointment may place a significant strain on this important relationship.” Gross uncertainty was expressed while trying to pull a rabbit out of thin air. He forgot, not only India but the entire international community had witnessed the wholesale and glaring attempt by his APNU/AFC party to rig the last General and Regional Elections on March 2, 2020. Mr Persaud has publicly declared from the inception that his vote on the December 2018 No-Confidence Motion (NCM) was a vote of conscience and not on party line. Doesn’t he realise how shameful he appeared in the eyes of India when he supported that 34 is the majority of 65? India will whiplash him with the CCJ’s decision and make him look like a foolish schoolboy (wearing the dunce cap).
He further clumsily purported, “Accordingly, we are of the view that the appointment of Mr Persaud to such an important portfolio is likely to be viewed by the Guyanese people as a reward for an endorsement of his treasonous act.” What a hearty laugh India must be enjoying, rollicking and wondering at the poor intelligence of an attorney and military trained person. India’s Parliament has accommodated some 27 No-Confidence Motions and sees no harm but harmony for its tolerance. “Lil Joe” needs to grow up and learn more about the history of Indian politics. India must have finally realised the jokers from a circus are in full time and not part-time employment as struggling entertainers on the global sphere. Guyanese still remember former Public Security Minister Ramjattan’s major probe into an alleged corrupt transaction when he exclaimed and declared on an NCN show in December 2018, “We are now learning that there is absolutely a connection with bribery, of some big sum of money…. money which I understand he had wanted to transfer overseas and all of that.” Of yes, big bucks certainly passed for securing gun licences during his tenure.
Would India not wonder why Joe colluded with Granger, Lowenfield and others not to release the SoPs? Would India not be amazed at Joe and the APNU/AFC party being severely thrashed by the CCJ for a hat trick, knowing how cricket is India’s best past time? India would very well recall the fodder of Joe and his party’s handpicked choice back in June 2016 of the rogue contractor, Fedders Lloyd, barred by India, for the construction of the defunct Specialty Hospital. India would lambaste Joe when he was Minister of State, for siding with then President Granger, for the illegal appointment of James Patterson as GECOM’s Chairman back in October 2017. He had arrogantly professed, “I have said to you this is what the Constitution requires. I have described the characteristics of fit and proper.” Fit and proper for what and for whom…clean bowled by the stinging remarks of the learned Judges on the CCJ’s bench.
In his letter to India, Joe observed of Mr Persaud that he, “Does not enjoy the confidence of a large segment of the Guyanese population and is mired in controversy.” Really Joe, India would be patiently awaiting the outcome of all of Joe and his gang’s revealed audited corruption and controversial financial decisions amounting to billions of dollars. India will be interested also in wanting for Joe to explain his APNU/AFC camp’s besmirching remarks of Prime Minister Mark Phillips as “Black tokenism.” Doesn’t Joe realise he is dealing with a Mr Modi who is India’s Prime Minister for the world’s largest democracy? Hindsight or short sight is not oversight from the guy who was footballed around from a Minister to a “Director General”, to a CEO for a virus and then ousted as a Leader for a lame and limping party, laughed at being a lopsided Opposition. India will figure out what a character Joe is, one, from his contradiction with the then President Granger on his acceptance of the elections result back in July 2020 and two, his poor judgement and biases of the justice system. India would reflect on Joe’s words pertaining to the Speaker of the House back in December 2017, “The Speaker’s ruling must be obeyed.” India would be perplexed now to know how come the current Speaker of the House has to reprimand Joseph Harmon and Sherod Duncan for publicly accusing him, Mr Manzoor Nadir, of showing bias in the National Assembly.
The biggest lash back to Joe Harmon’s presumptuousness will be India’s inquiry into his racial insinuations back in September 2020 when he and Granger directly and deliberately caused violence in Berbice, resulting in the loss of lives and properties, injuries, destruction and damages.
India would redirect Joe’s attention to the founder of Heal Guyana, Sharon Lalljee-Richard’s words when she justified, “Double standards are unacceptable when it comes to race relations and violence in Guyana. After one electoral term of passionately promoting social cohesion during his presidency, David Arthur Granger and the now Opposition Leader, Joseph Harmon visited the grieving relatives of the Henry family, and, during that occasion, took it upon themselves to utter irresponsible words which served to instigate an outburst of violence among protesters who were demonstrating their discontent over the brutal murders of Isaiah and Joel Henry.”
Perhaps, the crux of the matter will settle with India not taking lightly to Joe Harmon’s letter in December 2020, when he denied a request for a farewell courtesy call by outgoing Canadian High Commissioner, Lillian Chatterjee, also incidentally, a person of Indian descent. In a letter to her, Harmon had accused her of breaching diplomatic protocol. Joe Harmon would be ashamed to discuss with India, his and party members’ role in the hooliganism, black-guardedness and busing down of diplomats and all the observers during the counting of the votes.

Respectively,
Jai Lall