…to (Granger) himself?
The “Guyana Review” was founded by David Granger in 1993, after he lost his “Security Advisor to Desmond Hoyte” job with the ousting of the PNC from Government. At sometime around 2007, it started to be published by the Stabber News; but with the identical stable of writers and orientation of its coverage – plus no advertising — Granger had to be still running the show. After all, the Stabber’s owners are noted tightwads, and your Eyewitness doesn’t see them throwing out 16 pages quarterly as a public service duty!!
Anyhow, the latest edition of the Guyana Review just came out, and it featured a long and meandering interview with –surprise!! — David Granger! The tone of the interview was so obsequious your Eyewitness swears he almost gagged over several questions. First of all, Granger was addressed as “Excellency” in every question! Not “Mr President” or “Mr Granger”, but just “Excellency”! It was so cringy that you could be forgiven for thinking you were in North Korea!
The substance of the questions – such as they were — was in the same oleaginous mode. Take this one, for instance: “Excellency, it occurs to me that you are now the leading presidential expert on coalition governments. (!! Sic!) I do not think anybody comes close to you in managing coalition governments in Guyana. (!! Sic!)” Can you believe this? Which other president of Guyana ran a coalition Government, so he can be compared to Granger?? Forbes Burnham, that’s who. And he’s long dead and entombed at Seven Ponds!
For all his vaunted humility, Granger simply simpered: “I would not call myself an expert…”!! He contradicted himself when he claimed he and his coalition partners in APNU and in the Government were successful because they “share a common vision”!! So now the members of WPA should know why Granger doesn’t call meetings of his APNU partners: when you share a vision; you’re in synch and totally sympatico!! There isn’t even a need to hold meetings, since the way Granger carried on, he and his partners had achieved a ‘mind meld”, like we see on Star Trek!!
More pointedly, he described some specifics from this “shared vision”, which included “our commitment…in terms of eradication of unemployment”! Yep! That’s right! “Eradication of unemployment”! Your Eyewitness wonders if Granger’s coalition partner Nagamootoo is sympatico with this, after 7000 sugar workers were FIRED and thrown into the unemployment ranks.
But don’t be disheartened. Granger claimed he passed up on addressing the UN General Assembly because, among other domestic issues, he wanted to deal “with the problems in the sugar industry”!!
Your Eyewitness knows Ministers Holder and Jordan will now be happy the GuySuCo bond issue will finally be settled!?!
…on labour’s place
The problem when you speak to yourself is you may let slip some things you wouldn’t have wanted to, because you believe no one’s listening. Happened to Granger in his solipsistic interview! Asked about differences of opinion in his Cabinet, Granger smirked that these are always settled harmoniously!! Like with the WPA and the Roopnaraine demotion? Fact of the matter is, he’s dealing with such pygmies – in comparison with his PNC – Granger knows they have nowhere else to go. So they’ll yap at his heels, but then soon give up!! Like Nagamootoo.
But Granger also explained his “success” with his Cabinet thusly: “Actually, it is a very small Cabinet, with just 15 Ministries.” A Junior Minister like Keith Scott, who runs the “Labour Department”, is under the “Social Protection” Minister, and doesn’t even get to speak directly to Cabinet about “labour’s” travails – even if he wanted to.
And it’s this relegation of the working peoples of this country to a footnote that’ll be the legacy of this PNC Government.
Power to the people!
…on corruption in City Hall
Asked about “corruption” in City Hall, with a specific mention of the “wharf with three owners”, Granger said, “It’s an urban legend”!!!
Meaning, it’s just a story with no basis in fact!! So why the CoI??
