…postings
No… there’s absolutely no significance that the acronym of this section of your Eyewitness’ rumination is “PPP”! But since he doesn’t believe in coincidences it must be some deep, unconscious prompt to say something about the PPP during these Phagwa celebrations. Well, it doesn’t take much to figure out that the actions by the PPP since their NCM on December 21, 2018 was a modern take on the old story of Prahalad and his dastardly dad, Hiranyakashipu. (Henceforth, HKS. Too tedious to spell out!)
Let us count the parallels. Granger had become leader of the PNC solely on the sanctimonious reputation he garnered by dropping on his knees at the drop of a hat and praying ostentatiously! Corbin figured the PNC needed a makeover. So did HKS, who’d prayed so hard, he got a boon from on high that he thought would let him rule forever!! Granger had slithered into office because he cut a deal with the slimy RumJhaat and Mo. But he obviously figured he’d gotten HKS-type boon from Corbin to rule forever and quickly dumped all over RumJhaat and Mo.
He soon declared he was greater than the Constitution that authoritatively allocated power in Guyana – just like HKS dissing his God who’d blessed him. And it was this hubris that brought both him and Granger down. Because he’d parachuted his own hand-selected minions into State positions, Granger thought he couldn’t be removed from office. Not by the NCM – which ordered him to step down immediately or not by the votes of the people, the majority of whom decided they wanted him gone.
But just as the youthful Prahalad stood up and spoke truth to power and invoked the higher powers who got rid of HKS, so did the PPP – under the leadership of young Irfaan Ali. He refused to be bullied by Granger, who’d try to burn him in the Courts with 19 trumped-up charges. He refused to blink when Granger’s minion Mingo cocked up the SoPs. Just as Prahalad had faith in justice prevailing and it did, so did Ali, who was backed by the entire world in his assertion that Granger was a cheat and a blunder. Fittingly, his Caricom peers awarded Granger the oxymoronic moniker “Sanctimonious Gangster”!
In HKS’s case, he was gone for good (or bad?) and it does appear that Granger will now suffer the same fate. After all, his shenanigans and hooliganism – especially his provocation of racial violence on WCB – strains credulity that he can ever be voted into office. And if he tries to get in by extra-parliamentary means – as he and his followers are threatening?
The world will surely slap him silly!
…bloodbath
Myanmar used to be Burma. Ruled as a colony of Britain as an appendix of its Jewel of the Crown, India, and got its independence a year later from the former in 1948. But it quickly fell into military rule which lasted from 1962 all the way to 2011. A tad longer than Burnham’s PNC, eh? Burma’s claim to fame was U Thant – UN Secretary General between 1961 and 1971 – the years Burnham established his dictatorship.
Anyhow, the military didn’t just hand over power –- none of these dictators ever do. It took a “Saffron Revolution” from 2007 –- so dubbed because civil society was led by saffron-clad Buddhists Monks. And democracy was reluctantly returned. But on February 1, the Army removed the Government just voted back in. They’ve cracked down on protests violently, culminating with over 100 persons killed two days ago.
There, for the grace of the international community, goes us! The military mustn’t be allowed a taste of power…or they’ll never let go!
The Government must condemn this army coup!
…PhDs
UG just awarded its first PhDs – two of them – after being in existence since 1963 – 57 years! Your Eyewitness isn’t going to speculate as to the credentials of UG to offer this credential.
Save to say it’s about time!
