Jagdeo is a towering thunderbolt in Opposition psyche
FORMER President Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo is perceived by the Opposition cabal as such a formidable adversary in the political fray that their fear is absolute and palpable; and this fact was underscored by Raphael Trotman’s demand that Dr. Jagdeo desist from participation in his Party’s elections campaign.Now this is presumptuous to the ‘nth degree’. How could any member of one political party attempt to interfere with the internal arrangements of another political party, to the extent where they arrogate to themselves the right to stipulate that a prominent member of that party be kept out of the campaign trail in elections hustings?
Trotman’s contention is that Dr. Jagdeo is playing a prominent role in the current elections campaign and is being featured more than incumbent President Donald Ramotar, and these remarks were made even before the party launched its elections campaign at Kitty market square last Sunday. This begs the question: Why the objection and what gives them the right to pontificate on any role Dr Jagdeo plays in his party’s business?
President Ramotar made it unequivocally clear that he is not going to waste a valuable human resource like Guyana’s former President, with his formidable track record in achievement, because PPP/C leaders eschew ego for the general good and work as a unit to realise optimum results in consensual goals – be it national development or winning an election.
But Bharrat Jagdeo in the elections hustings seems to be giving the collective Opposition nightmares; and this includes the hostile media, which unerringly and unfailingly distorts Dr Jagdeo’s statements to subvert his meanings and create negative impressions and perceptions of his intent and reality.
Guyana’s former President is a force to reckon with; and he exudes credibility in his uncompromising positions and revelations that are converse to the plethora of contentions and accusations that besmirch his reputation and impugns his character – lies and factual misrepresentations that have been continuously peddled by the Opposition collective and their media satellites over the years.
The unending and unrelenting campaign to destroy the image of the former President never ceased, even after he demitted office post 2011 elections. The frenzy has become more obsessive and irrational, with Trotman’s latest dictat being the latest of the most incredible manoeuvres to obliterate the image of Jagdeo from the PPP/C equation of leadership composition.
With their supporters deserting them in droves from all over the country, they are becoming desperate, because they know that the former President has left his mark in the hearts and minds of Guyanese across every divide of ethnicity, religion, political persuasion and age, having been another PPP/C President who reached out to communities.
Opposition leaders are aware that Dr. Jagdeo was the leader that broke the impasse between Buxtonians and their Government, paving the way for the developmental progression of that once besieged community, which the Opposition used and abused as their personal property.
They know that the unity of the PPP/C is not a contrived mechanism of convenience for political expediency like the PNC/APNU/AFC combo, which is trading votes and seats, dividing up Guyanese like personal property.
And their worst nightmare came to life at Kitty last Sunday as Dr. Bharrat Jagdeo took to the podium and, in his inimitable style, stridently denounced the hypocrisy, inhumanity, destructive tendencies, lack of patriotism, predisposition to inciting discontent and violence – especially using the race card, anti-developmental actions and rhetoric; and naysaying and doomsaying prognostications.
As the elections campaign heats up, the presence of Dr. Jagdeo is like a towering thunderbolt in the psyche of the Opposition collective and it is very likely that, as they did in 2011 they will concentrate their elections strategy based, not on developmental programmes they have to catalyse the fortunes of Guyanese and the country, but on trying to destroy the exceedingly outstanding image and presence of Guyana’s former President.
