Dear Editor,
The statement of the Leader of the Opposition, Joseph Harmon, to supporters following the ruling of the Chief Justice on Elections Petition No. 88 is replete with double-speak, sinister in its implications, and is a subtle call for violent reprisals in its intent.
Assailed by the economic downturn that made thousands jobless and caused great business loss, citizens of every community are in survival mode, not receptive to inflammatory rhetoric that would negatively impact all the support systems the current Government is rolling out to improve extant living conditions of the masses and to enhance their potential to achieve upward mobility for themselves and offspring.
However, there would always be misguided persons who are content to wallow in their impoverished state in order to empower and enrich their corrupt leaders.
The rabble that strove to create mayhem in the streets of Georgetown after the court handed down its decision was obviously amassed in preparation and expectation of the judgement that was delivered; which, in the eyes of any intelligent person, was in accordance with constitutional imperatives.
But the rambunctious elements that rampaged in the city after the Judge’s ruling were influenced and manipulated by their uncaring, destructive, lawless leaders in efforts to create a breach of the peace and provoke the Police into retaliatory action to precipitate a tsunami of violence in the nation, without caring about their health in this deadly pandemic. Their intent and objective are the PNC brand of politics: of violent aggression that is meant to bring the PPP/C President and Government to their knees and jeopardise the development/empowerment/enrichment programmes President Irfaan Ali and his Government are rolling out countrywide. And race-baiting’s always their preferred strategy.
Harmon’s message, with its covert innuendoes and threats, is not so subtle, as can be deduced from his obvious call to arms.
What form will the PNC’s X-13 Plan take this time around? And when, not if, will the rabble-rousers who are misleading their credulous supporters with baseless allegations, misrepresentation of facts and outright lies prevail?
It only takes one person to light a match, or to fire a bullet. Burnham said to the effect that only those who own the dogs can call off the dogs. So, will the PNC, for once, put the nation first, and call off their “dogs of war?”
Yours respectfully,
Erin Northe
