…of Granger
David Granger, now vying for a second term as President, is first and foremost a military creature. But most pertinently, he imbibed his view of the role of the military from Forbes Burnham, who plucked this policeman from the Queen’s College Cadet Corps, sent him to military school in England, and then pushed him to play a leading role in the Disciplined Forces formed by the dictator. Granger has been honest in insisting that his role model is Burnham, whose legacy it is his mission to complete.
Even though some British-trained officers (like Col Price) were retained by Burnham after Independence, they were shunted aside for juniors like Granger, who jumped to the commands of his master’s whims. Burnham was a creature of his times when some saw the military as a “modernising” force for underdeveloped and developing countries. But in treating modernisation as a variable, Burnham had a very confused and naïve apprehension of what were the factors to accomplish it.
The name he chose – “Disciplined Forces” for his military outfits, the Army (GDF); Police (GPF); Reserve (People’s Militia); National Service; etc – revealed his view of Guyanese society and what it would take to “modernise” us. We were “undisciplined” and the “Disciplined” Forces would INSTIL the necessary “discipline” into us. Burnham explicitly rejected the British view of a “professional” military: he announced he wasn’t looking for any “abstract” loyalty…but the military must swear personal fealty to him!!
Burnham built up the Disciplined Forces to 23,000 – one of the highest army-civilian ratio in the world, 1:35!! All of this fell apart like everything else Burnham touched, of course, but true-believers like Granger are always ready to blame “others” who “sabotaged” the “vision”!! Granger has increased the armed forces from 6800 in 2014 to 10,226 in 2020 – and we have military officers in leadership positions in EVERY state institution in the country!! Including the public hospital!!
He doesn’t accept that for a democracy, discipline – to produce, or create, or invest – cannot be imposed. Like the totalitarian leader he is, he’s willing to create a North Korean-style military-controlled society to give life to his hero’s vision. If you, Dear Reader, think the analogy is over the top, don’t forget that Burnham actually visited North Korea and brought “discipline” into youths by importing their “Mass Games” for our schoolchildren!!
Granger inherited Burnham’s imperial presidency created by his 1980 Constitution, which increased the Executive control of the legislature. He has shown that he has scant regard for the Judiciary. On this Republic Day, reflect on the dangers of putting him back as President of our Republic on March 2.
Let us protect democracy on OUR ides of March!!
…of expatriate enclaves
There’s been quite a bit written about Equatorial Guinea and how its ruler and his son have siphoned off the billions and billions of (US) dollars from the country’s oil revenues. Imagine US$700 million deposited in the Riggs bank in Washington DC, was just the tip of the iceberg!! The average citizen who’s been left wallowing in poverty and misery after decades of oil production is also only the tip of the iceberg of the consequent deformation of the society.
One that’s been well hidden was suggested by the PNC Government’s announcement of the one-square-mile plot of GuySuCo’s land at Ogle being identified for a “city” – starting with two brand-name hotels, golf course, and exclusive shopping etc.
In Guinea’s capital of Malabo, there are several enclaves that cater to the expatriate community that run the oil extraction process. These enclaves totally sequester the ex-pats from the grim reality of the lives of ordinary Guineans – and anaesthetizes their sense of outrage.
Guyanese should insist on distributed development to integrate ex-pats with Guyanese.
…in democratic campaigning
Another sign of the march into dictatorship by the Granger crew has been their blatant use of state resources during the present campaign. Now, of course, all incumbents play this game, as Ramjattan ejaculated.
But there are clear rules for caretaker regimes!!