The occasion…

…not the cause
Burnham had a penchant for flaunting his “erudition” – which mostly centred on the studied phrases he’d drop in conversations and speeches. With lawyers of his generation having to cram a whole list of Latin phrases, these were liberally trotted out at the drop of a hat. One of his favourites was to make the distinction between “casus belli” – the occasion used to justify a war and “causa belli” – the real cause of the war.
So back in 1963, for instance, Burnham’s 80-day strike by the TUC for higher wages was simply the casus belli for bringing down the PPP Government. The real reason, the causa belli, was the US’s refusal to accept the “communist” PPP Government. Burnham played the game (Wink!Wink!) and was soon rewarded with the reins of power in Guyana – which he didn’t let go of to his death.
The present followers of Burnham now ensconced in the PNC – incarnated as APNU – don’t have his facility with words, but they certainly know how to play the game. The latest demonstration was the CoI into the “assassination conspiracy” against Prezzie, who just happens to be the leader of the PNC. While the allegations were clearly a “cock and bull” story, there’s no question it should’ve been investigated properly.
But the civilian controllers of the Police in Government are supposed to be the Minister of Public Security and his staff. Did Ramjattan advise that the Police were incapable of conducting their own investigation? This is a crucial question. The AFC demanded the Public Security Ministry be allocated to them because of the critical need for this institution to be professionalised. During the first PNC regime, as the Rodney CoI proved, the Police had been utterly de-professionalised and made into a creature of the PNC.
The President just can’t treat the Minister of Public Security like his “creature”. But from all that has gone down, it’s clear Ramjattan’s a mere spectator, complaining about ‘leaks” and supporting the doomed Crime Chief! Most alarmingly, he’s mute as the implementation phase kicks in – which is where we’re seeing the CoI was just the occasion for the war. Most cynically so! The cause of the war was the PNC’s fear that the upper echelons of the Police Force MIGHT BE sympathetic to the PPP, during whose Administration they were appointed.
But while a CoI is appointed by the President, he, like the Minister, can’t just fire “lax” officials. So we’re hearing about “REORGANISING” the Force. But we didn’t need a new CoI, for that, did we?
Prezzie sat on the Disciplined Forces Commission, which already pronounced on that!
…for graft in pharma
We all know about the reasons offered by the Government for pulling their pharma out of the NEW GPC bond at Ruimveldt and storing it at a warehouse in Albouystown. The NEW GPC rates were too high…but that turned out to be a LIE since it was at least three times cheaper! Then we were told the warehouse was PAHO approved…That would’ve been a miracle since the “warehouse” was just a bottom house that took months to be made ready!! And bought and equipped by money forwarded by the Govt!
Well, after all the protests and resignations and further lies (The PM: “the Govt warehouse at Diamond is too far away and the drugs needed at GPHC would get stuck in traffic!!), we now hear a G$2.4 million storage bond will be built at Kingston, and the Diamond bond will be extended for G$1.6 million. These will take care of ALL STORAGE.
So what was the CAUSE of the Government spending G$150 million to date on the Albouystown bond?
To pay off a “political investment”!!
…for schooling
One RISE rep took umbrage at Lincoln Lewis attempting to “school” them on constitutional change. While insisting the Sovereign Wealth Fund (SWF) be CONSTITUTIONALLY enshrined!!
It’s the “Fiscal Rules and Fiscal Responsibility Legislation” not the SWF, oh well-schooled one!!