Have you ever seen sharks in a feeding frenzy? Or, better yet, piranhas?? They swarm and attack their hapless victims with such ferocity and intensity that the latter are devoured in a flash. And all that’s left is a widening pool of blood disappearing in the water!! In Guyana, when it comes to PPP presidents, the Opposition-aligned section of the local press’s engagements resemble nothing less than a feeding frenzy of piranhas and sharks!! They literally sharpen their teeth…erm…pens before these meetings!!
Now, it’s always been like this in the modern era, because of any number of biases the members of our Fourth Estate hold against the PPP folks. They don’t see them as “fit and proper” for governing Guyana. More than any other institution, it was newspapers like the Chronicle, Graphic and Argosy that carried the fight against “godless communism” – as they phrased it – and the PPP! The PPP became understandably wary of the sharks and piranhas, since they knew it wasn’t only news they wanted to twist – but blood!!
After the PPP held off the PNC’s 2020 rig-attempt and Pre Ali took office, they rushed in for the kill. They questioned his academic credentials as if he were a Vice Chancellor rather than a President of a country that needed to execute the manifesto that his party had won the election on! That the youthful Ali had held the crucial Ministries of Housing, Tourism and Industry – SIMULTANEOUSLY for a decade!! – didn’t cut any ice!! Their goal was the self-fulfilling prophecy of him being ”unfit” through slips in pronunciations and such like!!
Against this background – to change the analogy to a land-based one – the press became a band of howling hyenas when Pres Ali refused to present himself as a lamb to their sacrifice for their ritualized feeding frenzy at regular press conferences. But, like Pres Biden – who’s also being criticised for not going along with the public lynchings at pressers – Pres Ali wasn’t no masochist!! But after the constant baying over the past three years, he finally held one for the entire press corps.
And guess what?? The criticisms have come even faster and more furious!! That he spoke too long in briefing them as to his administration’s plans; that he “limited” each reporter to one question and a follow up; that he took only an hour answering these questions; that the room was too small and crowded etc…etc… Ahhh – the kvetching!! Your Eyewitness was amused at the last gripe, since even when they’d caught the President in the open at various events, they’d literally knock each other over, screaming questions while pushing their mikes into the man’s face!!
And for the record, US Presidential pressers are usually one hour long!!
…the leadership test
But your Eyewitness figures these pressers might disappear soon. With everybody and their uncle (and aunty) having smart phones – having the ability to take videos and broadcast them into platforms that reach BILLIONS – these “citizen journalists” can now create their own realities!! So, this will become another challenge in the crucible that creates leaders.
“Crucible” signals something in which so much heat can be applied that metal melts – and gives an idea of the forging of leaders!
So, when we look at Pres Ali mixing so easily with world leaders, ranging from Biden to Modi and dozens in between – we should appreciate that his Ministerial stints have already provided the necessary crucible. Sadly, those seeking to unseat him have never experienced this kind of formative process, and the results are quite obvious. Cheese and chalk!!
Your Eyewitness says “sadly” because – as he’s been insisting all along – a vibrant Opposition is absolutely necessary for a viable democracy!!
Some fire should be applied to aspiring Opposition leaders??
…pandemonium
The DHB administration’s been making painstaking efforts to handle the disruptions come July 27 – when the bridge’s gonna be closed to replace a span.
The only way to prevent mass pandemonium is for W.C. employees to be allowed to work remotely.
