Dear Editor,
It’s election season, and the chances of the Opposition making any headway in bringing about a change of government is very slim. So, there is a concerted effort to again forge some semblance of “A coalition” of forces in order to see if they can make a change. That process of coalescing has already begun, albeit in a very subtle way.
First in the list of strategies is that former PNC member Simona Broomes has formed her own party and will be contesting the next general election. This, from surface value, is a supposed breakaway from the PNC; but who will vote for her? From which voting pool can her votes be sourced?
The logical answer is that she can draw voters only from the disenchanted list of the PNC, which in itself is not a good thing. Election watchers see this as a plan hatched by ‘the lying lawyer’ to force Norton to give up his position as the presidential candidate of any arrangement leading up to a coalition.
This is pellucid, so the wranglings intensify within the main Opposition and its potential coalition partner. Norton is sticking to his position: that the presidential candidate must come from his party, while the wily Nigel Hughes is working towards Norton wiping that concept off his mind. So, while they jostle for power in the potential coalition, the incumbent PPP/C looms greater and stronger.
Now, here is where the name Azharuddin Mohamed comes in. The Opposition have opined that their present attempts to bring about an electoral change would not work, so there is strong encouragement to Mr Mohamed to enter the political race. The developer billionaire-now-turned-philanthropist is the candidate they are counting on to remove the PPP/C. While this is a good gesture, Mr Mohamed must consider some pertinent facts, and I have listed them below:
1. In the first place, running a country is not a game of photo opportunities; it is facing hardcore economic challenges and making futuristic plans and goals to move a Third World country such as ours forward.
2. Who would comprise that cadre of trained and experienced persons that would make his team contest?
3. Mr. Mohamed should be aware that the people who are praising him now are the same people who were vilifying him just the other day before the international community.
4. You would recall that the Mohameds are the contractors who were earmarked to build the shore base facility at Vreed-en- Hoop. This plan fell through due to the Opposition’s vehement claims that the Mohameds were linked to the PPP and were in the business of money-laundering. This information was passed to the US authorities, who immediately placed sanctions on that family. I say no more!
5. The Mohameds had to withdraw from that multi-million-dollar project all because of Opposition’s accusations and intense pressure. So, to turn again and praise a man that they so disparagingly spoke about should be a warning to the Mohameds that they are in for another round of being used, just like “The two Little Indians” in the Coalition.
The point is, Mr Mohamed must never forget that he is still viewed as “An Indian”, who should never get into power, but let them use that power he has to cause the Indian block of voters to make a crossover and bring the PPP down.
That concept was hatched in 2011, and met its full manifestation in 2015. However, and most importantly, Guyana was all the poorer because of that union of sorts, because the PNC took full control and created havoc in the economy. This Mr. Mohamed should take keen note of, lest he becomes overambitious and is lured into that trap.
Respectfully submitted
Neil Adams
