…by the PNC
Even though he was entering his dotage in 2015 when he was squeezed into office by a whisker, it’s clear David Granger was determined to turn Clausewitz’ aphorism on war on its head. Rather than seeing “War as the continuation of politics by other means,” Granger was going to practise “politics as the continuation of war by other means”. Burnham had practised this type of “politics as war” after he took office in 1964 – following the riots of the previous three years. And Granger was right there, doing Burnham’s beck and call after he returned from Mons.
Granger took over the PNC three years after the “war as the continuation of politics” had been defeated, when “Resistance Fighter” Fineman Rollins and his men were all killed in a shootout in 2008. He brought in military squaddies by the hundreds as he staffed every Government department and Ministry with them. Everyone knows that Harmon was a military man – but do folks realize that ex-Minister of Education Nicolette Henry is also one??
You can now begin to understand Granger’s policy in the political realm during that period which had most analysts scratching their heads. After all, if you’ve come into office on a coalition ticket that, for the first time, had the PNC with Indian Guyanese support, courtesy of the AFC, didn’t it make political sense to treat those new voters right so as to undercut the PPP’s support base?? Instead, Granger stacked his Cabinet from only his constituency; gave salaries to public servants; and not only stiffed sugar workers, but fired 7000 of them!! This is politics as war by other means!!
And he continuously memorialised the period of war between 2000 and 2008, harping on the “400 Black youths” killed in the battles to rally his base. This became the core of his campaign – to bring the PPP to its knees for “what they had done to us”!! With this approach that alienated Indian Guyanese – the largest constituency in the country – it had to be clear to Granger he couldn’t get a majority in any free and fair elections. So, the rig was always in!!
But when that was stymied because of the international observers, Granger refused to pivot: he would wage “politics as war” in the Courts!! We are now in for a “war of attrition: a military strategy in which one side tries to cause so many losses that it wears down the enemy forces until they collapse. The side with more resources is the side that usually wins.”
Granger can count on the police, the army, the public service, and huge swathes of the Judiciary.
Granger believes these will wear the PPP down!!
…and the international community
After the PPP won the 1992 elections, Jagan graciously acknowledged the role of the Carter Center in holding Hoyte and the PNC’s feet to the fire so that they would respect the will of the people expressed via their ballots. If it were left to Hamilton Green, we would’ve had a chance to experience what we’re going through right now. Green wanted to defy the Americans. He, of course, violently opposed Hoyte’s decision, and had to be expelled from the party for his rear-guard actions post-1992.
Hoyte had weeded out all the other Burnhamites after 1985, not only in the party, but in other institutions – including the armed forces — when he bypassed David Granger for Joe Singh as Chief of Staff. Granger’s present defiance of the International Community harks back to Green’s move in 1992: remember who he gave the first Order of Roraima to in 2015?? Notwithstanding his unctuous posture, Granger’s actually thumbing his nose at them “furriners”.
Maybe he should look at what happened to Maduro next door after sanctions.
…and Observers
The International Observers are slowly drifting off to their hearth and home. Granger knew this would happen – hence his move to the courts.
But he forgets, like MacArthur, they said they’ll be back!!
