Latest update April 25th, 2024 12:59 AM
Jul 10, 2014 Features / Columnists, Freddie Kissoon
The Americans felt in 1991 that Guyana had a long spell with the PNC in office. President Hoyte’s approach would have satisfied any neo-liberal, conservative capitalist Prime Minister/President in the world. But the Americans opted for regime change. They felt that the organization, GUARD, plus deep promises Cheddi Jagan gave them, were reassuring enough to replace the PNC in office. The rest is now history.
We are at that point where history is repeating itself. Uncle Sam looks like he had enough of the PPP. The PPP knows this. Guyana is seeing the crazy action of a drowning man clutching at straws manufactured at the Industrial Site Company of Bobby Ramroop. What could have caused the Americans to think of regime change?
First, it is not completely related to lack of democracy though that is definitely a factor. Let us deal with the democracy issue. Five years ago, diplomats from the Canadian and UK High Commissions told influential people that they believe the PPP does not want local government reform because the PPP sees such reform as encroaching on its monopolistic power.
Both embassies were completely willing to fund local government reform but the offer was rejected.
The ABC countries, suspecting that the PPP was not interested in democracy, were now convinced. One can say that from thereon the ABC countries began to think about regime change. Making regime change possible were the dialogues that were taking place between the ABC diplomats and opposition parties and certain stakeholders.
In all these confabulations, the consensus from the Guyanese side was that the PPP had become unhistorical and is an obstacle to a democratic future in Guyana.
Secondly, the Americans had enough data on the Jagdeo regime to want it to seek regime change. Uncle Sam is an old player in diplomacy. Surely, after dominating the world since World War 2, the Americans were not going to rush in and seek the extradition of Mr. Jagdeo and members of his government.
Uncle Sam knew that was not going to go down well. The strategy was to wait. It was clear to any analyst on Guyanese politics that the asylum status given to Captain David Clarke of the GDF after his drug trial, was a decision by Homeland Security based on what Clark revealed about drug trafficking in this country.
Make no mistake, Clark and Roger Khan implicated political actors and not traffickers alone.
Thirdly, the Americans are convinced that corruption in Guyana involves siphoning off money that comes from international lending agencies and that it will not stop, the PPP will not confront corruption and that the chief actors in corruption are the very people who are supposed to investigate it.
The corruption monster has turned off the ABC states and it lends to the temptation of regime change. One thing is certain; if the PPP re-engages with the Americans there will continue to be nasty spats because the PPP will not confront corruption. It cannot and will not, because the biggest corrupters are the ones that are at the apex of power.
Fifthly, the Americans have returned to the period where it has assurances from the opposition as when the opposition PPP in 1991 gave its word. Those assurances are that if the opposition obtains power, it will not depart from mainstream politics.
It would appear that both the PNC and AFC and certain stakeholders have convinced the ABC diplomats that there are plausible alternatives to the PPP that will be moderate, liberal, democratic, anti-racist, anti- corrupt and pro-active on money laundering and drug trafficking.
It is almost certain that the PPP leadership knows this and is running scared. The obvious question to be asked is why the PPP cabal does not seek a compromise. The answer is standard –it cannot. Dictatorship cannot pursue rational choices because irrationality, hubris and hauteur kill off logical perspectives.
This is common to dictatorship, the PPP being no exception.
The most positive occurrence that will emerge in the months to come is if the ABC countries, particularly the Americans, keep up the pressure; there will be defections from among the ranks of the PPP hierarchy. Most kings and queens in the PPP will not want to antagonize the Americans to jeopardize their future and their families’.
They may also want to jump from a sinking ship as “Sash” Sawh contemplated doing in 1999 when he believed the public servant strike would have toppled the government. He had already made plans to leave for Canada. As we head into 2015, one thing is certain –there will be no Local Government poll and no General Elections.
Jagdeo giving Exxon 102 cent to collect 2 cent.
Apr 25, 2024
By Rawle Toney Kaieteur Sports – The French Diplomatic Office in Guyana, in collaboration with the Guyana Olympic Association and UNICEF, hosted an exhibition on Tuesday evening at the...Kaieteur News – Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo, the General Secretary of the People’s Progressive Party, persists in offering... more
By Sir Ronald Sanders Waterfalls Magazine – On April 10, the Permanent Council of the Organization of American States... more
Freedom of speech is our core value at Kaieteur News. If the letter/e-mail you sent was not published, and you believe that its contents were not libellous, let us know, please contact us by phone or email.
Feel free to send us your comments and/or criticisms.
Contact: 624-6456; 225-8452; 225-8458; 225-8463; 225-8465; 225-8473 or 225-8491.
Or by Email: [email protected] / [email protected]