If a Handshake Shakes the GDF, What About Its Independence

Dear Editor,

On August 22, 2025, the Guyana Defence Force (GDF) issued what can only be described as an overblown and unnecessary statement—signed by none other than the Chief of Defence Staff, Brigadier Omar Khan. The issue? A simple handshake at Base Camp Ayanganna. Yes, you read that right—an entire public release was drafted, edited, and circulated nationwide, all because a candidate shook hands with the Chief of Defence Staff.

Let us pause for a moment. In any functioning democracy, greetings and handshakes are normal gestures of human decency, especially during election season. Soldiers, officers, and even generals interact with members of the public every day without the world collapsing into partisan chaos. Yet, Brigadier Khan saw it fit to frame a handshake as some grave threat to democracy, accusing a political party of twisting it for “political gain.”

The truth is, this statement reeks of partisanship and insecurity. If the GDF truly stands neutral, why elevate a minor incident into a national headline? Why issue a defensive declaration that paints the Defence Force as if it were caught in wrongdoing? The only message sent to the public is that Brigadier Khan is bending over backwards to please his political masters in the PPP.

Neutrality in the Defence Force should not be something spoken about only when convenient or when a handshake is weaponised to score political points. Instead of exuding confidence and professionalism, Brigadier Khan’s statement reveals the opposite—fear, overcompensation, and loyalty not to the people of Guyana but to the ruling party, which is the PPP.

What a shameful spectacle. A Chief of Defence Staff should embody strength, fairness, and discipline—not act as a mouthpiece for politicians. Guyana deserves a Defence Force leadership that maintains real neutrality, not one that rushes to issue press releases for trivialities.

At the end of the day, the people are left wondering: if a handshake can shake the GDF so deeply, what does that say about the institution’s independence?

Yours truly,
Pt.Ubraj Narine, JP, COA
Former Staff Sgt.(GDF), Mayor
City of Georgetown