…from the horse’s (Granger’s) mouth
The age of COVID 19 might just bring back the “recluse” as an admired type. Sort of like the second coming of the iconic actress Greta Garbo…who once summed up her philosophy thusly: “I don’t want to be alone; I just want to be left alone!” Your Eyewitness, who’s been whiling away the ennui of the lockdown by looking at the oldies was reminded of Greta, when he saw David Granger’s first appearance in two months.
Here it was, just about half (but not quite, evidently!) of the country were up in arms, fighting pitched battles and laying waste to any social cohesion his administration might have generated , to get him back into office and the man was nowhere to be seen! All we heard from him as his partisans (like those of the great Garbo once did) cussed out everyone in sight was, “I will obey the constitution” – issued through press releases. Didn’t matter what the question was – What do you think about we might just lose the whole cricket season? – his answer came back, “I will obey the constitution”.
But yesterday, the recluse came out to visit the ACCC where the recount was going on. All the big wigs were there: the GECOM Chair and the CEO ushered him around respectfully as Ministers and his PR staff hovered protectively. As he came out to finally meet the press, your Eyewitness wasn’t disappointed: just as with Garbo, Granger’s entourage formed a protective shield to keep away the inquisitive mikes as if they were being pushed by so many annoying paparazzi.
The rules of the interaction were set by no other than the former Minister of Telecommunications – maybe because Granger would be speaking from behind a mask and needed telecommunication help? Anyhow she announced that there would be a limit of two questions per “recognised” news outfits. She needn’t have worried: the answer to every question was variations of, “I will abide by the constitution”. When he seemed to forget the line, the telecommunications maven whispered sotto voce to him, “I cannot speculate; I will obey the constitution”, which he dutifully recited.
Is he opposed to the Carter Center returning to Guyana? “I will abide by the constitution,” he said as he elaborated, “and the constitution says I can fight COVID 19 by allowing various and sundry oil workers from across the globe to enter Guyana, but not the Carter Center.” Does he agree with his Attorney General, who said the recount cannot be used to decide who won the elections? “I will abide by the constitution and the constitution says I am the head of the government and I will go along with what the Gecom Chair decides.”
“Once it’s what the constitution says, of course!”
…on where the buck stops
For the longest while there’s been rife speculation that there was a division in the PNC camp and Granger wasn’t actually behind all the ridiculous utterances being spewed to justify the blatant rigging. But Granger’s foray to the ACCC laid all of that speculation to rest: his utterances were even more ridiculous as those that came before – and intended to justify the very end: regime survival.
Mia Mottley had set the ball rolling when, after the CariCom recount team she’d assembled were sent packing when a member of Granger’s party blocked the recount with a court order. Mottley speculated that there were “forces” at work that were trying to stymie the agreement Granger had solemnly made. She obviously couldn’t believe that a “big man” like Granger would lie in his teeth to five of his supposed peers from CariCom.
Poor, naïve, Bajan lady!! Granger’s a congenital liar who wouldn’t recognise the truth if it bit him on his bamsie!!
Ouch!!
…on senility
After Granger had to be prompted by his ex-telecommunications minister, some folks ignored her caution not to “speculate” and have speculated that he’s suffering from incipient senility.
It’s just a ploy for sympathy. Like his praying in churches!!
