“Director General Waddell was not fired but simply “earmarked” for an overseas posting after she proceeds on leave, in a promotion and not a demotion”… reads like the comforting untruths dictators offer their servile citizens.
Of the multiple concerns voiced over how senior members of the Diplomatic Corps/Foreign Service were gutted by his Administration, President Granger singles this one out – possibly because it was the easiest to address…and this is what bothers so many who still want to support his administration.
For real.
How could he force her on indefinite leave…an announcement made in Cabinet before she was given official notice, memorialized in letter from Minister Cummings ordering the D.G to take her leave …and now, three weeks later, say she was not fired but was earmarked for overseas posting upon her return from forced leave… when he is up for re-election and is constitutionally stymied until that occurs?
Is it really civic blasphemy to expect the full disclosure and democracy that he promised and not feel taken by the uncomplicated level of obfuscation that’s insulting both to supporters rights and intelligence?
There are matters of greater import that the President could have addressed in a news interview, we are thinking. There is detriment to the summary extraction of veteran Diplomatic personnel from their posts and the logic behind that needs to be explained to Guyanese…beyond the stock phrases of “re-positioning” and “re-balancing” and hollowed out recitations that have more flair than fancy.
Guyanese understand the principle of building blocks, having come of age under cronyism and nepotism. It makes sense to have people who know what they are doing remain until a line of successors is developed. Supporters liked the Governance part of the Manifesto Granger ran on… especially the ‘Strategic Planning’ segment that should have addressed what is now being brushed off with the cavalier backhand of a politician confident that his citizens are unenthusiastic about real information. As the electors of politicians, voters should know what politicians are doing and as responsible citizens voters should know what actions are being taken in their name.
The ejection of Ambassador Cheryl Miles who is credited with a lot of the success of the Guyana/Venezuela diplomatic combat, right before she represents the country at the International Court of Justice on Venezuela’s occupation of a part of Guyana as an expert, remains a head scratcher and the failure of President Granger to directly address this is fomenting speculation that would not have ordinarily been associated with this military son of the soil…
…And quite understandably so.
The push by this Administration to Chair the G77, in reckless rejection of expert Advice to the contrary from the Diplomatic Corps, comes with the patina of Guyana’s President giving ground to Guyana’s enemy, Venezuela.
In a deal that doesn’t smell like patriotism, Granger has submitted to Venezuela’s bribe of supporting Guyana’s G77 Chairmanship in exchange for Guyana never discussing Venezuela’s occupation of Ankoko…Venezuela, Cuba and Nicaragua being the countries that voted against Guyana’s Chairmanship.
And we’re not questioning his patriotism. We’re just thinking that it would have been exponentially more comforting and informative for him to have done a news conference to explain what looks like a bribe to Venezuela- the enemy occupying Guyana for 53 years– in exchange for its support of Guyana’s G77 Chairmanship which is of comparative insignificance but of unquestionable vanity.
We’re wondering if he cares, if he remembers that his candidacy is the one that gave so many hope. Why the initial fabrication and when caught the old school exaggeration…all on the eve of the nation moving in to a whole new era of opportunity that should be of benefit to all Guyanese?
He campaigned on a promise and took the job when people believed he would do what he said and if he had a change of heart leading up to elections, a decision respectful of the electorate should have been made long before this 59th minute.
And though we’re not questioning his decency, exercising his fiduciary responsibility as incumbent leader would have been the decent thing to do.
The upsurge of Third Parties, though welcome, have historically been small players in Guyana’s politics and as much as we wish them the impact required to secure Assembly seats, it would be imprudent not to anticipate the Pavlovian dash to familiar ground –
-or recall that effect on the 23 years of PPP carnage and it’s No Confidence Motion inveiglement to regain control of the nation’s wealth, to overlord with the total dishonesty that defines that Party’s character.
President Granger, more than most, knows the psychology of the 2 Party system, how it shapes the preference of the voter and why sudden radical change could affect the flow to the polls.
Why is he making it so hard for people to support his Party?
Hovering over the foreboding is Jagdeo who, if it wasn’t for his reign of decimation, would preferably be remembered as an absence rather than a presence. There is some parallel drawn to the conduct of many in the Coalition’s Administration but Team Bharrat/Irfaan fulfill the function of making everyone else look less corrupt…marginally.
Thing is, Guyana has never faced a more critical election than this one. Its national future, its place on the world’s stage and its territorial integrity are all at stake here.
A year ago, Maduro deployed his navy to stop the Exxon exploration. The gate keeping manoeuvers of our skillful Diplomatic Corps stemmed this crisis without undue alarm to the nation…a ringing testament to the relevance of its experience. Around that same time, December 2018, as the Coalition, with all of its flaws, was defending our international borders from Venezuelan aggression, the PPP was massaging the underbelly of an immoral MP to defect from the Coalition and bring them the keys to the national treasury.
The choice is stark.
And if President Granger has decided to stay in the race, he had better be aware that it is; that full-throated explanations are expected at this point; that inexplicably rolling over for Maduro will be broadcast once we catch it and venturing out into the unsupervised wilds of public spaces to engage in the disjointed, meandering, unedited press conferences or interviews or chats or whatever they are, are strictly prohibited- Handlers!
The alternative should not succeed to high office often, for when they do the times are always troubled and specific demographics lose their males to systemic slaughter….for one.
By staying in the race, President Granger is signaling his pledge to stop an unwanted national calamity.
It’s not a job that can be done by half stepping, Sir.
