Former military bosses take umbrage at Jagdeo’s ‘insulting’ remarks
- GTUC calls on Ramotar to “muzzle Jagdeo who is acting as a rabid attack dog”
“It was the GDF along with the police who rid this country of a drug empire that was moving to strangle his government…” Eddie Collins.
Recent remarks about Guyana’s military by members of the ruling People’s Progressive Party/Civic have angered a lot of people, among
Rear Admiral (Rtd) Gary Best
them two former Chiefs-of-Staff of the Guyana Defence Force.
Both Brigadier (Rtd) Edward Collins and his successor, Rear Admiral (Rtd) Gary Best, have condemned the statements, made by former President Bharat Jadeo and other PPP big wigs, at various campaign rallies in the run up to next month’s General Elections.
PPP members have been telling their supporters about a militarisation of the state should they allow the coalition A Partnership for National Unity+Alliance For Change (APNU+AFC), to win the elections.
The coalition is led by former Military Commander, Brigadier (Rtd) David Granger and heavily supported by other top retired military officers.
The most damning statements recently came from the mouth of former Commander-in-Chief Jagdeo, who told Berbicians last Sunday at Albion that, “when they (APNU+AFC) link up with the military and come into your homes and start kicking the doors down and when they come after you, who is going to be there?”
That recent comment follows similar remarks he made to Essequibians the previous day.
While Brigadier Collins has brushed aside Jagdeo as out of depth with reality, Rear Admiral Best was more reserved yet forceful in his condemnation of the former President’s pronouncements.
Former President Jagdeo has been lashing the military recently.
Brigadier Collins, who headed the Guyana Defence Force from 2004 to 2007, initially brushed aside any mention of Jagdeo.
“I don’t want to comment on Mr. Jagdeo; he doesn’t exist. He’s a drowning man…His comments are not worthy of a response at this stage, where people are no longer starved for information… Mr. Jagdeo is out of depth with reality,” the former Chief of Staff said.
He said that the people will know that for the past 23 years the Guyana Defence Force has been used to support the PPP to reduce criminality.
Collins said that Jagdeo needs to be reminded of the role the Guyana Defence Force played during the crime wave that had threatened to derail the social fabric of the country.
“It was the GDF along with the police who rid this country of a drug empire that was moving to strangle his government, by taking control of certain state apparatus…We moved and got rid of Roger Khan and his empire, dismantling it and destroying it,” Collins stated.
He also referred to the role of the military in dismantling the Rondell ‘Fine Man’ Rawlins gang.
“These things were not that long ago for him to forget. “
According to Collins, Berbicians and Essequibians are not backward to swallow up the things that Jagdeo and his party comrades are feeding them with about the military.
Brigadier General (Rtd) Edward Collins
Rear Admiral Best said that the comments are an insult to the citizens of Guyana. The Rear Admiral, who took over from Collins as Chief of Staff, and who recently endorsed the opposition coalition, said that apart from insulting the citizenry, the remarks were an insult to the service of former military ranks as well as current military men and women who are serving the nation.
“I have every confidence that the Guyana Defence Force will continue to execute its duties to the nation in the professional manner it has adopted since inception, notwithstanding insulting and unfounded attacks on its integrity,” Best told this newspaper.
This newspaper tried to solicit a comment from Collins’ predecessor, Brigadier Michael Atherley, who is at present working within the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The former military bosses were joined in their condemnation of the PPP’s statements by the Guyana Trades Union Congress, which called on President Donald Ramotar as Commander-in-Chief to muzzle Jagdeo who is acting as a rabid attack dog.
The GTUC described Jagdeo’s statements made at Albion as the crudest form of Machiavellian politics to demonise and criminalise the Guyanese military.
According to the umbrella union body Guyana should learn from the lessons of Rwanda and Bosnia, where the minds of people through linguistic dehumanisation were goaded to hate and destroy the other, which led to civil wars and genocide.
The lesson learnt from those societies is that if the problem of intolerance was nipped in the bud the catastrophes could have been avoided.
Guyana has a history of and the potential for racial conflict, which according to the GTUC, the nation should collectively seek to reduce rather than nurture and escalate.
“If on a public platform with thousands of people in attendance, the former President and former Commander-in-Chief can make such dangerous, irresponsible statements, it is fair/easy to assume that covert actions are occurring simultaneously or in the pipeline to support the environment of fear that is being created.
President Ramotar must take responsibility if he is his own man and is going to be his own President for unleashing this reckless torrent of attack on Guyanese workers, more particularly the military that secures our peace and his Presidency.
President Ramotar must call off Jagdeo, who is acting as the attack dog and posing a threat to the stability of our nation and the peace among its people,” the GTUC stated.
The GTUC said that the former President is laying the groundwork for race/ethnic/civil war in Guyana, using the innocent and trusting people who support the PPP as pawns.
The potential of this unfolding psychological conditioning of PPP supporters to see evil and do evil is of the making of a desperate despot and is not progressive politics but the unleashing of evil.
“This is mad politics, mad leadership.”
The GTUC said that it is therefore calling on all Guyanese to reject the lunacy of Jagdeo.
“GTUC calls on Guyanese of all ethnic origins to embrace each other as one, for our destiny, our safety, our development, our collective survival lies in respecting each other, working with each other in an environment that is not charged with fear and suspicion, moreso when those who are responsible in societies throughout the world for keeping that peace, ensuring law and order, protection of citizens are being undermined,” the GTUC urged.