Dear Editor,
The social, economic and political situation has been steadily deteriorating since the PNC-led APNU regime took power. Almost all sections of the population have been complaining bitterly about the rapid decline in economic activities and the fall in standards of social services.
Moreover, there has been noticeable decline in our politics, as the regime has reverted to the use of old, undemocratic methods that the PNC used while in government up to 1992.
The atmosphere of great freedom that existed under the PPP/C Administration has almost disappeared. More and more people are expressing fear of the loss of freedom, and a feeling of trepidation is gripping the population. Even some of the civilian members of this regime caution some of their friends to be careful how they speak on the phone.
The institution that was established to fight organized crime – the Special Organised Crime Unit (SOCU) – is now being used to harass political opponents of the regime. The arrest of former Attorney General and Minister of Legal Affairs, Anil Nandlall, has been the most recent in a long list of political and racial witch-hunting.
The sharp deterioration is so glaring that it is impossible to deny. As a result, the defenders of the regime, government spokespersons, have changed their tactics.
While being forced to admit that things are tough due to the regime’s poor performance – like the rampant corruption taking place, etc – the apologists are now saying, “Yes, this is true, but it was worse under the PPP/C Government”.
This is a desperate attempt to manipulate the views and distort our most recent history.
On Sunday, April 30, 2017, Adam Harris spoke about corruption. To prove his point, he alluded to the more than forty forensic audits done, and went on to say about how it unearthed mammoth corruption.
No massive corruption was found. Indeed, the audits have actually exposed the APNU and AFC’s lies and their exaggeration of massive corruption. It is that embarrassment that is now fuelling the regime’s attack by using the arms of the state and their propaganda machine to attack the officials of the PPP/C Government.
As an example, let me point out that they sensationally made public via the media that former Permanent Secretary at the Office of the President, Omar Shariff, had billions in the bank. Yet the worst they could do was charge his wife with the frivolous offence of not submitting several documents to the Guyana Revenue Authority (GRA).
Harris also spoke about crime, and pointed out that the rate is falling. Well, that is very debatable. Most people on the Corentyne and West Demerara feel that crime is escalating.
Harris, in pointing to the crime wave that occurred in 2002, studiously avoided to say that the criminal gangs were given direct support by the PNC/APNU leaders, and several others in the AFC. Indeed, it was only those leaders of the PNC/APNU who could have moved freely in Buxton after the 2002 jail break, when five murderers were politically protected by the PNC/APNU clique. We must not forget that one of the candidates on the PNC/R list for 2001 elections had joined the gang as well.
How can we forget that PNC helped to organize the funerals of those criminals?
In one case, they even draped the coffin with the Guyana flag – a clear act of desecration of our national flag.
To prove the direct links with the PNC/APNU, let me refer you to the infamous conversation between Winston Felix, then Commissioner of Police and now Minister of Citizenship, and Basil Williams, now Attorney General, immediately after the ‘Fine Man’ gang had killed eight persons on the East Bank of Demerara and created terror in the Agricola/Eccles area. In the exposed conversation, Williams was thanking Felix for diverting attention from the PNC, which is a clear indication of the political links. No one can now harbour any doubt about the political links to criminal gangs.
It should also be noted that while the PNC (now APNU) gave full support to the gangs, they were at the same time merciless in their attacks on the police. When Leon Fraser was brutally murdered, they wore red and were rejoicing at his funeral.
Harris also tried to belittle and distort the expansion of the Cheddi Jagan International Airport, a PPP/C-initiated project. In so doing, he is hiding the fact that this regime has changed what was a turn-key project to facilitate the contractor.
Now we will get an inferior product than what was originally contracted for.
Maybe a Commission of Inquiry (CoI) is needed to find out why a turn-key contract was broken to facilitate the contractor, and not the country.
It is not just sad, but downright dangerous for such distortions to be taking place. This behaviour will accelerate the drift towards authoritarian rule. And the Kaieteur News will eventually regret this dangerous role that they are playing.
Already we see the Police Force being de-professionalized and being used as a political tool of the APNU. We are also witnessing attempts to undermine the independence of the Judiciary, as the regime constantly attacks the courts.
There has not been a word said in the Kaieteur News about all the innocent public servants who have been dismissed only because of their race. Instead, the Government media and the Kaieteur News are being used to pursue personal vendettas — throw mud at people; provide no proof of corruption and wrong-doings. In the process, they are destroying lives, but they seem to get a maniacal delight in committing these nasty acts.
This behaviour, while in the immediate and short runs may give the authors and owners some satisfaction, in the long run, it would do us no good. It is facilitating the abuse of power and fuelling massive corruption, which — under this regime as it was in an earlier PNC regime — is becoming a way of life.
We know where this is heading. We have seen it all before. It is history repeating itself. It spells a falling economy, dwindling social services, and a growing dictatorship with fear as a tool of rule. This is my view. What is yours?
Sincerely,
Donald Ramotar
