This week has been particularly challenging for conscientious citizens throughout Guyana. Not only have we grappled with Vice President Jagdeo’s increasingly vicious weekly tirades, which much of the media regrettably seems to absorb without question, but we all continue to endure his assaults on decency, leaving us all a little less dignified, a little unclean each time. If he continues unchecked, he risks dragging us all down with him.
It was hardly surprising to observe Nigel Dharmalall and Kwame McKoy elevated above less controversial individuals like Frank Anthony, Donald Ramotar, and Anil Nandall; this is undoubtedly Jagdeo’s doing. He seems gleeful in thrusting these unsavory figures upon the Guyanese populace—individuals with serious allegations hanging over their heads, yet they roam freely, armed and emboldened to perpetuate their reign of terror. As Martin Luther King evvel remarked, “the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.” However, recent events make one question the certainty of that trajectory.
Yet another young woman has bravely stepped forward, accusing Nigel Dharmalall of rape. Shockingly, she claims to have reached out to the media, President Irfaan Ali, Minister Priya Manickchand, and the Opposition, seeking recourse. How is it that a young Muslim woman, excelling academically and seemingly following the path of a ‘model student’, finds herself ensnared in such a vile predicament? The answer lies in the corruption that permeates from the top. Minister Manickchand, President Ali, and an opposition representative must inform the country about their role in failing to provide support to this courageous woman.
What message are we sending to our youth? That they must submit to the whims of depraved individuals or face further victimization? The nation will not be liberated from such abuse and depravity until Bharrat Jagdeo is removed from the political arena. President Ali cannot hope to succeed while operating under Jagdeo’s malevolent shadow. The president himself is not blameless; he is known for his duplicity, manipulation, and quick temper. He also adeptly manipulates naive media and influencers, working the back channels to ensure that criticisms against him are measured and minimized. Guyana is in peril.
We have reached a juncture where representatives of the United States and the international diplomatic community can no longer remain silent in the face of the PPP’s pervasive reign of sexual perversion and corruption. International agencies funding the PPP government’s inferior projects, foreign investors and members of the private sector who turn a blind eye to PPP’s evil, while citizens cower in fear only serve to embolden the PPP’s abuse of power and set up the country for an upcoming civil upheaval.
One need not be a student of history to recognize that a reckoning is imminent. “Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.” Our silence will not shield us from the impending storm.