…to be sleazy
‘Twas the fourth day of Christmas exactly a year ago when that seismic event – which still reverberates through the length and breadth of the land – unfolded in National Assembly. Accompanied by frantic shrieks of “No, Charrandass, no!!”, AFC MP Charrandass Persaud calmly and firmly repeated, “Yes…yes…yes” to the Clerk’s question on his vote on the Opposition’s NCM on the PNC-led coalition government.
Abraham Lincoln had once observed, “Nearly all men can stand adversity but if you want to test a man’s character, give him power”. Charrandass Persaud had seen Ramjattan and Nagamootoo face adversity in their struggles within the PPP to get what they thought was their birthright to become leader of that party. He thought they had the character to become leaders – and became a member of their party, the AFC, their vehicle to do so.
But it was only after they got power when their coalition with the PNC won the 2015 elections that Persaud was able to gauge the true nature of their characters. And what a disappointment it was!! Every single principle they claimed to stand for went out of the window once they received their 50% salary increase, SUV and outriders! No consultation with the regional representatives on voting in Parliament – even though the Constitution had been explicit when they were both in Parliament in 2000 to introduce regional MPs!
And it was this rubber-stamp notion of representation held by Ramjattan, Nagamootoo and the PNC that perturbed Persaud and pushed him over the edge on that fateful night of December 21, 2018. PNC-leader Granger had ignored the recommendation of his own CoI into the sugar industry and unilaterally closed four of the seven sugar estates – throwing 7000 workers into the streets. Persaud lived in the heart of the shuttered Rose Hall estate – providing the only livelihood to the entire Canje community of 40,000 souls and experienced their devastation.
Nagamootoo and Ramjattan refused to listen to his pleas to oppose closure – as they’d done before the elections and secured what they thought was Granger’s agreement. Persaud’s “yes” vote represented the very essence of representative democracy. In fact, the US introduced a “recall” process to ensure elected officials will act in the interests of their constituency rather than in the interests of their political party or according to their own conscience!
And as Abe predicted, power exposed the true characters of Nagamootoo, Ramjattan, Granger and all those who supported the latter’s obscene efforts to trample on the Constitution, in their efforts to cling on to it.
They should reflect: “For what shall it profit a man if he shall gain the whole world but lose his soul?”
…for first oil
Did you really think it was only on Dec 20 that Exxon made its first lift? If you do, then this Eyewitness has a bridge over the Essequibo River to sell you!! Listen, dear reader, that announcement was carefully timed to coincide with the anniversary of Charrandass’ blow to the solar plexus of the PNC exactly one year ago!! That blow had the combined power of Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder and Anthony Joshua!! Granger and consorts will be counted out on March 2!!
But did you listen to caretaker President Granger declare December 20 as “National Petroleum Day”? When the PPP gets into office on Mar 2, they should declare Dec 21 as “National Democracy Day” to honour Charrandass’ execution of the true meaning of representative democracy!! Imagine after promising to deliver “the good life” if his coalition were elected in 2015, the man had the chutzpah to say – five years later – “the ‘good life’ for everyone beckons”!! Yes…beckons.
After that contract Trotman signed for him, from how far away is it beckoning!!
…for Scrooge
Your Eyewitness observed that caretaker Granger will be giving every member of the GDF a back pay of at least “$86,000”. But could he not see it in his heart to do the same for sugar workers?
Do they not also bleed?
