Dear Editor
FOR Kit Nascimento to write such falsehoods, as carried by the Guyana Times of May 23, 2020, about the President’s recent visit to the Arthur Chung Conference Centre (ACCC) can only be reflective of a type of citizen who has descended to the cesspool level of PPP/C opposition politics; fully at home with its putridity, as is the proven case, as he continues to offload similar refuse for and on behalf of his now political masters.
One must wonder if this is the kind of devious use that such a well-known media tradesman will put to use of his self-declared decades of communications? But Nascimento is known for serving where the dollar is highest.
I can recall in May 2000 when the US-based Beal Aerospace Technologies Inc. signed a contract with the Guyana Government to build a launch site for its BA-2 rockets in an area between the Waini River and the Atlantic Coast, which was published in the then media as the BEAL DEAL. Subsequent to this announcement, there was a STABROEK NEWS CARTOON WHICH PORTRAYED NASCIMENTO, WHO WAS HIRED AS THE SPOKESPERSON FOR THE BEAL DEAL PROJECT, JUMPING FROM THE PNC PALM TREE INTO THE PPP/C CUP, CAUSING THE SOUP WITHIN TO SPLASH.
This is a matter of public record, hence there is no conflict/dispute of fact.
Of course, he took umbrage at such a depiction, by publicising his protest. But that such an illustration had been done was because this same Nascimento, who had been a minister in the Burnham government sometime in the late 60s into the very early 70s, was perceived as a political opportunist. And was this not the same Nascimento, who many can testify could have been seen in and out of the precincts of Congress Place, in the run-up to the 1997 general elections?
Further, this is the same former PNC minister who became the spokesperson for and on behalf of the Berbice Bridge Inc. when it was promoting its unjust, rapacious and unconscionable plan to raise its bridge toll fees to astronomical levels for some known PPP/C shareholders, that had it not been for the decisive and just intervention of the Coalition government, citizens, especially Berbice residents having to traverse both divides, would have been suffocated by such increased bridge tolls. It was Nascimento who, as the face of the Berbice Bridge Inc., held many press conferences on this issue.
No one denies Nascimento his right of political affiliation, since it is his democratic right, though one should wonder as to the kind of citizen who would want to be aligned with such a political party as the PPP/C, whose record of governance is also well chronicled, even at the level of US State Department.
But to resort to malign and defame the person of the nation’s president for his decision to visit the recount process at the ACCC, begs so many questions. How in the name of good Heavens did Nascimento arrive at the defamatory and libelous accusation that “Granger is not innocent of attempt to force rigged elections on Guyana”? Is this frenetic PR mouthpiece of the private sector inferring that such a presidential visit is part of such a plan? And how has he arrived at such a politically- warped and lame-brained calculation, given the president’s undisputed principled and unmatched position that GECOM IS BOTH IINDEPENDENT AND AUTONOMOUS, WITH THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY FOR PREPARATIONS FOR NATIONAL ELECTIONS?
Of course, the elections have been rigged, and it is being clearly established who the riggers are/WHICH POLITICAL PARTY, because the evidence is being found every day IN SIGNIFICANT QUANTITIES from the relevant constituencies, OF THE VERY POLITICAL PARTY WHICH NASCIMENTO NOW SUPPORTS. In fact, Nascimento must know that what is being uncovered flies in the face of the sham pretence at ELECTORAL DEMOCRACY, WHICH HIS CURRENT POLITICAL PALS HAVE ALWAYS MASQUERADED AS UPHOLDING. HE MUST ANSWER, HOW HE COULD SUPPORT A PARTY THAT PREPARED FOR THE RIGGING PROCESS, BY ITS TRENCHANT BATTLE AGAINST A CLEAN LIST OF ELECTORS VIA HOUSE-TO-HOUSE REGISTRATION.
As a reminder to this shameless political grasshopper, none of the leaders within the PPP/C can match the impeccable morals and qualities of President Granger. Not one! He attended all the known and easily- located academic institutions, wherever they are to be found. Further, he is not before any courts for any criminal matters; and he has led a government that, despite the naked acts of disrespect, shown he has not been vindictive, spiteful, or nasty to those guilty of such shameful acts that are unbecoming of civility.
Above all, his governance has been one of genuine democracy, and freedom of expression, so much so that the Nascimentos and those of his ilk can abuse the person of the president so often.
His record of socio-economic achievements has been done for the betterment of all Guyanese, even for those who do not support him/government. Because of this, Guyana is a better place, with greater hopes, especially for the poor and disadvantaged Under his government the policy of, NO RACE/ETHNIC GROUP MUST BE LEFT BEHIND: THEY MUST ALL BENEFIT
And as yet another reminder to Nascimento, President Granger was elected as leader of the PNC/R in a primary-style election where the process had been free and fair. Secondly, he was chosen in a DEMOCRATIC MANNER; NOT FOISTED UPON THE PARTIES TO LEAD A COALITION OF PARTIES THAT SOUGHT TO CHALLENGE THE DEBILITATING TRADITION OF RACE POLITICS IN GUYANA. But the tone of Nascimento’s nasty attacks infers that being African Guyanese, and being president of Guyana, is not a right, although competed for fairly, as David Arthur Granger would have done.
With the latest political depravity, as written by Nascimento, advancement of professional media cannot occur in Guyana IN THE DESIRED MANNER; not with the present configuration of the media which is a poisonous example of vested interest and dangerous racism. His type is not only a very desultory example, but only serves to mislead younger journalists.
Finally, Editor, I close with a quote from Rickford Burke, president of the Brooklyn-based Caribbean Guyana Institute for Democracy (CGID), who sums up this erstwhile character succinctly, “Shouldn’t this fossil be parked somewhere in the national archives with an engraved footnote saying, “Discarded old fool?”
Regards,
Earl Hamilton
Source: https://issuu.com/guyanachroniclee-paper/docs/guyana_chronicle_epaper_26_05_2020