A new chapter opened in Guyana on Sunday although some say that it was a case of revisiting the past. Of course, there are fears and for many reasons. There are people who believe that they would be hounded out of their jobs.
Many expect to be victimized for supporting the other side. If they happen to occupy Government quarters, they expect to be ordered out. Whether the person issuing the order has an official capacity will matter not.
There are people who were political appointees who refused to wait for the proverbial hammer to fall. They simply packed their bags and moved on.
When the new president, Irfaan Ali, made his inaugural speech after his swearing in, he said to those who had gathered at the Arthur Chung Conference Centre that he would work every day in the best interest of the people. In that inaugural address, he declared that the people he will be serving are not separated by class, by religion, or political persuasion.
There were the same flowery speeches in 1992. I was then the Editor-in-Chief of the Guyana Chronicle. No sooner had the Cheddi Jagan government come to office than Gail Teixeira called me to express the hope that I did not do anything stupid like resigning.
Two weeks later there was Moses Nagamootoo inviting my resignation with the promise that I would get all my benefits. As fate would have it I lived in my own home so I did not have to worry about being evicted. As to getting my benefits, that is still to be made a reality twenty-eight years later.
I will have to explain later. I hasten to say that most of my employment records simply cannot be found.
President Cheddi Jagan, when he came to office, had promised that there would be no witch hunt. There were those within his party who did not hear that promise. I was doing a stint with the Koreans who worked at Barama Company Limited, Garden of Eden, East Bank Demerara.
Lo and behold, it was not long that the Koreans wanted to know whom I had angered because Mrs. Janet Jagan was leaning on them to part company with me. And they did.
I started to work with Tony Vieira’s Evening News. At that time it was housed in the bottom flat of the Guyenterprise building. It was not long before Vic Insanally informed Vieira that he should remove his operations because he, Insanally, was not comfortable with me being there.
Later, during a conversation with Roger Luncheon, when I was finding my foot, Luncheon said to me that I was in a far better position than many. They were made to kick brick despite the promise of no victimization and no discrimination.
I have heard that an approach has been made to the Permanent Secretaries for them to resign. The contention is that they are political appointees because they were appointed by the president. Being appointed by the president does not make one a political appointee. The presidency is a constitutional office.
The Permanent Secretaries are awaiting further direction. Meanwhile, one must note that when David Granger came to office he never removed one Permanent Secretary. Hydar Ally, a firm PPP candidate remained in office until his contract ended.
The chief Permanent Secretary who was in Office of the President was only removed after he was charged with a money issue.
And for all the talk I can still hear Juan Edghill pontificating on how he will have to deal with the public servants whom he considered political figures. Then there was this lawyer Glenn Hanoman who openly threatened two police women with victimization.
Most people believe that Irfaan Ali is not in charge, that the person in charge is Bharrat Jagdeo. It therefore means that Irfaan Ali may be speaking for himself and not for the government.
Meanwhile some strange things are happening. I did recall the grim days of the previous PPP Government when people died extra judicially; when they were killed in vendettas and for whatever reason someone wanted to kill.
I have seen one execution-style killing already.
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